Global Courant
S. Iswaran is accused of receiving gifts worth $14,000 from an individual doing business with the Ministry of Transportation.
Singapore’s former Transport Minister S. Iswaran has been hit with eight new charges in a rare corruption case involving the city-state’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
The charges relate to allegations that Iswaran obtained valuables worth about 18,956 Singapore dollars ($14,077) from an individual who had business dealings with the Ministry of Transport, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement on Monday.
“Singapore has a strict zero-tolerance approach to corruption,” the CPIB said.
“Any person convicted under Article 165 of the Criminal Code may be fined or sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.”
The alleged gifts Iswaran received included whisky, golf clubs and a Brompton bicycle, local media reported.
The charges come after Iswaran was charged in January with 27 corruption offences, most of which were linked to his alleged receipt of gifts from Malaysian billionaire Ong Beng Seng.
Ong, who played a key role in bringing the Singapore Grand Prix to the city-state in 2008 while Iswaran was in government, is said to have given the former minister tickets to West End shows and football matches in exchange for looking after his business interests .
Iswaran, who resigned as MP and resigned from the PAP, denied the allegations at the time and vowed to clear his name.
Corruption scandals are rare in Singapore, which is known for its strict laws and strict enforcement.
Singapore was ranked the fifth least corrupt country in the 2023 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, behind Norway, New Zealand, Finland and Denmark.
The case involving Iswaran is the first corruption investigation against a minister since 1986, when then National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan was accused of taking bribes from companies.
Teh died before charges were filed against him.
