Former Singaporean minister S. Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Thursday for obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gifts, marking the city-state’s first political corruption trial in nearly 50 years.
Iswaran, the ex-transport minister credited with helping bring Formula One to Singapore, faced 35 charges this year, primarily related to graft. Singapore is known for its low corruption levels, making the case particularly significant.
The 12-month sentence exceeded the prosecution’s request for six to seven months, which High Court Justice Vincent Hoong deemed “manifestly inadequate” given the case’s impact on public trust. “Trust and confidence in public institutions are the foundation of effective governance,” Hoong stated, warning of the risks to public perception when officials fail to meet standards of integrity.
Iswaran was convicted the previous week of obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gifts after prosecutors proceeded with five lesser charges, including those involving a billionaire property tycoon.
His defense requested that his prison term begin on October 7, and the court ordered Iswaran, 62, to surrender himself at 4 pm local time at the State Courts that day.
Iswaran resigned in January after being formally charged, which included accepting gifts worth over $300,000. In his resignation letter, he vowed to clear his name in court.
According to the attorney general’s office, Iswaran has returned approximately $295,000 in illicit financial gains, and seized items include a Brompton bicycle. The charges also cover an attempt to obstruct an investigation into a business class flight provided by Malaysian hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng.
Additional charges involve Iswaran receiving gifts from Ong and Lum Kok Seng, managing director of Hotel Properties Limited and a director at a construction company, respectively. These gifts included whiskey and golf clubs. Neither businessman has faced legal consequences.
Local media report that the attorney general’s office will “soon decide” whether to take action against Ong, but no mention has been made of Lum.
Iswaran’s trial is considered one of Singapore’s most politically significant and could affect the ruling People’s Action Party’s reputation ahead of general elections expected by November next year.
