SINGAPORE: Transport Minister S Iswaran was charged in court on Thursday (Jan 18) with multiple offences including corruption and receiving gratification as a public servant, months after a probe into him was made public.
He was handed 27 charges in all - two of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, one of obstructing justice and 24 of receiving gratification as a public servant under the Penal Code.
He pleaded not guilty.
Iswaran was arrested on Jul 11 last year as part of an investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
The arrest was made public on Jul 14, although no details were provided on the nature of the investigation.
What was known was that property tycoon Ong Beng Seng had been arrested as well and asked to provide information in relation to his interactions with Iswaran.
Ong also owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix and is chairman of race promoter Singapore GP.
Iswaran, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, had been actively involved in the government’s engagements with F1, including making appearances at press conferences where announcements about the event’s future have been made.
Transport Minister S Iswaran at the State Courts on Jan 18, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Gaya Chandramohan)
Iswaran arrived at the State Courts at about 8am on Thursday morning, flanked by his lawyers, including Senior Counsel Davinder Singh and Mr Navin Thevar from Davinder Singh Chambers. He did not respond to questions from reporters during his walk to the court entrance.
The 61-year-old has been Minister for Transport since May 2021. His political career spans more than 26 years since he was first elected in 1997 as a Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC.
Before he was appointed to the Cabinet in 2006, he served on several government parliamentary committees and was the Deputy Speaker of Parliament from September 2004 to June 2006.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong placed Iswaran on a leave of absence due to the CPIB investigation.
Mr Lee later revealed in parliament that Iswaran had his pay cut to S$8,500 (US$6,390) a month until further notice. But he was allowed to draw the full annual MP allowance of S$192,500.
It prompted the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to file a motion requesting that Iswaran be suspended as an MP.
The PSP motion was rejected in parliament last September, with MPs voting instead to consider the matter when investigations against Iswaran conclude.
On Jan 9, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a written parliamentary response that CPIB had completed its probe into Iswaran.
At the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) conference in November, Mr Lee spoke about the need to keep Singapore’s system clean. He also pledged that PAP's commitment to honesty and incorruptibility was "absolutely non-negotiable".
Without referencing Iswaran, he told party members: "If you wear white, you must be white. Whether in your party responsibilities or private dealings, never bring yourself or the party into disrepute. Do not abuse your position. Do not accept any favours, still less ask for them. It is shameful, it is wrong."
Mr Lee, who is the party’s secretary-general, added that the PAP must prove itself especially when it is tested, by putting principles into action "regardless of any embarrassment or political cost" and dealing with the issues "without fear or favour" while getting to the bottom of the matter.
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He was handed 27 charges in all - two of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, one of obstructing justice and 24 of receiving gratification as a public servant under the Penal Code.
He pleaded not guilty.
Iswaran was arrested on Jul 11 last year as part of an investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
The arrest was made public on Jul 14, although no details were provided on the nature of the investigation.
What was known was that property tycoon Ong Beng Seng had been arrested as well and asked to provide information in relation to his interactions with Iswaran.
Ong also owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix and is chairman of race promoter Singapore GP.
Iswaran, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, had been actively involved in the government’s engagements with F1, including making appearances at press conferences where announcements about the event’s future have been made.
Transport Minister S Iswaran at the State Courts on Jan 18, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Gaya Chandramohan)
Iswaran arrived at the State Courts at about 8am on Thursday morning, flanked by his lawyers, including Senior Counsel Davinder Singh and Mr Navin Thevar from Davinder Singh Chambers. He did not respond to questions from reporters during his walk to the court entrance.
The 61-year-old has been Minister for Transport since May 2021. His political career spans more than 26 years since he was first elected in 1997 as a Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC.
Before he was appointed to the Cabinet in 2006, he served on several government parliamentary committees and was the Deputy Speaker of Parliament from September 2004 to June 2006.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong placed Iswaran on a leave of absence due to the CPIB investigation.
Mr Lee later revealed in parliament that Iswaran had his pay cut to S$8,500 (US$6,390) a month until further notice. But he was allowed to draw the full annual MP allowance of S$192,500.
It prompted the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to file a motion requesting that Iswaran be suspended as an MP.
The PSP motion was rejected in parliament last September, with MPs voting instead to consider the matter when investigations against Iswaran conclude.
On Jan 9, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a written parliamentary response that CPIB had completed its probe into Iswaran.
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INCORRUPTIBILITY "ABSOLUTELY NON-NEGOTIABLE"
At the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) conference in November, Mr Lee spoke about the need to keep Singapore’s system clean. He also pledged that PAP's commitment to honesty and incorruptibility was "absolutely non-negotiable".
Without referencing Iswaran, he told party members: "If you wear white, you must be white. Whether in your party responsibilities or private dealings, never bring yourself or the party into disrepute. Do not abuse your position. Do not accept any favours, still less ask for them. It is shameful, it is wrong."
Mr Lee, who is the party’s secretary-general, added that the PAP must prove itself especially when it is tested, by putting principles into action "regardless of any embarrassment or political cost" and dealing with the issues "without fear or favour" while getting to the bottom of the matter.
Continue reading...