Singapore ex-minister faces 8 new charges in graft case

Former transport minister S. Iswaran was handed eight more charges in a corruption case yesterday, the anti-graft body said, in one of the city-state’s high profile corruption scandals.

Iswaran, 61, pleaded not guilty to the additional charges, when asked by District Judge Brenda Tan, local media reported.

The additional charges involved allegations he obtained valuable items worth about S$18,956 (RM66,564) while minister from an individual whose business had dealings with the Transport

Ministry, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement.

The alleged offences were committed between November 2021 and November 2022 and are punishable under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

Any person convicted under Section 165 of the Penal Code can be fined, sentenced to imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

Iswaran now faces a total of 35 charges in a case that has gripped Singapore, a major Asian financial hub that prides itself on a squeakyclean government that is rarely affected by graft and political scandal.

These include corruption and obstructing the course of justice, which were levelled on Jan 18. If convicted of graft, he could be fined up to S$100,000 or face seven years in prison.

He was arrested in July last year and alleged to have obtained kickbacks worth S$384,340 from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, partly to advance Ong’s business interests.

Charge sheets show the favours included tickets to football matches, musicals, a flight on Ong’s private plane and tickets to the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. Iswaran was advisor to the Grand Prix’s steering committee, while Ong owns the rights to the race.

The last corruption case involving a minister was in 1986 when the national development minister was investigated for allegedly accepting bribes.

The minister died before he could be charged in court. – Reuters/Bernama