Ex-Singapore minister jailed for accepting gifts

Subramaniam Iswaran, a senior cabinet minister in Singapore's government, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison in a high-profile trial that has rocked the wealthy country.

Iswaran, 62, pleaded guilty to accepting gifts worth more than S$403,000 ($311,882; £234,586) and obstructing justice while holding public office.

The Gifts The price included tickets to the Formula 1 Grand Prix, a Brompton T-Line bike, alcohol and a ride on a private jet.

Judge Vincent Hoong, who oversaw the case in the Singapore Supreme Court, stressed that the former transport minister's crimes amounted to an abuse of power and threatened people's trust in public institutions.

He also noted that Iswaran appeared to assume he would be acquitted.

“In his letter to the prime minister, he stated that he rejected (the charges) and that he firmly believed that he would be acquitted,” Judge Hoong said.

“That’s why I find it difficult to accept that this is an indication of his remorse.”

Iswaran will appear in prison on October 7.

He will serve his sentence at Changi, the same prison that houses Singapore's death row prisoners, where cells have no fans and most inmates sleep on straw mats instead of beds.

He is Singapore's first political figure to face trial in nearly 50 years.

The country prides itself on its squeaky clean image and absence of corruption. But that image and reputation of the ruling People's Action Party has taken a hit with Iswaran's fall.

The city-state's lawmakers are among the highest paid in the world, with some ministers earning more than a million Singapore dollars ($758,000). Managers justify their hefty salaries by saying they are fighting corruption.

Ministers cannot keep gifts unless they pay the market value of the gift to the government, and they must declare anything they receive from people with whom they do business.

“It's not a significant amount over his years of service, but given his salary, he could certainly have afforded to forego it,” said Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at Singapore Management University.

“I think the public expected the court to have zero tolerance for this type of behavior.”

Iswaran's defense team had asked for eight weeks if the judge deemed a prison sentence necessary. His lawyer argued that the charges were not an abuse of power and did not prejudice the government.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, asked for a sentence of six to seven months in prison, saying Iswaran was “more than a passive gift acceptor.”

“If officials were allowed to accept significant gifts in such a situation, public trust in the impartiality and integrity of the government would be seriously undermined in the long term,” said Deputy Attorney General Tai Wei Shyong.

“Not punishing such acts would be a signal that such acts are tolerated.”

Judge Hoong noted on Thursday that high office holders have a particularly strong influence on the public interest.

“Such individuals set the tone for public officials by behaving in accordance with high standards of integrity and must be expected to avoid the impression that they are vulnerable to being influenced by financial gain,” he said.

During his reign, Iswaran held several portfolios in the Prime Minister's Office: Home Affairs, Communications and most recently the Ministry of Transport.

The most recent case of a politician facing a major corruption trial occurred before last year in 1986, when National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan was investigated for accepting bribes. He took his own life before he was charged.

Previously, former environment minister Wee Toon Boon was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 1975 over a case involving more than $800,000.

Allegations against Iswaran first surfaced in July last year. Almost all of the allegations against him stem from his dealings with billionaire real estate tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who helped bring the Formula One Grand Prix to Singapore. Ong Beng Seng is also under investigation.

When Iswaran found out that authorities were investigating Mr Ong's associates, he asked Mr Ong to charge him for his flight to Doha, Judge Hoong said on Thursday.

He acted with care and intent, and by asking to receive a bill and pay the traffic ticket, he tried to avoid investigations into the gifts, the judge added.

Iswaran was initially charged with 35 counts, including two counts of corruption, one count of obstruction of justice and 32 counts of “procuring valuable things as a public servant.” But at a trial in late September, Iswaran pleaded guilty to lesser offenses after the corruption charges were changed.

Lawyers did not confirm whether a settlement had been reached.

“The system still works and there is still that public engagement. But this particular case will certainly not bring any favors to the party,” Mr Tan said.

The case against Iswaran is one of a series of political scandals that have rocked the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which has long taken a strong stance against corruption and amoral behavior.

In 2023, a separate corruption investigation into the real estate dealings of two other ministers finally concluded that there were no improper actions, while the Speaker of Parliament resigned over an extramarital affair with another lawmaker.

The property scandal raised questions about the privileged positions held by ministers in Singapore at a time of rising living costs.

Singapore must hold a general election by November 2025. The PAP's share of the popular vote has fallen in recent elections and the country faces a challenge to its decades of single-party dominance from an increasingly influential opposition party.

The Labor Party won a total of ten seats in parliament in the last election, but was also rocked by a scandal. Their leader, Pritam Singh, was accused of lying under oath before a parliamentary committee. He has denied the allegations.