FThe former minister of transport S. Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Thursday for bribery and obstruction of justice, with a judge handing down a longer sentence than prosecutors had sought to underline the city’s commitment to clean governance.
“Trust and trust in public institutions is the basis of effective governance,” said Justice Vincent Hoong. “This could easily be undermined by the appearance that every public servant has fallen below the standards of integrity and accountability.”
Iswaran is the first former minister in Singapore to receive a prison sentence since 1975. The former minister last week pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining valuables as a public servant and obstructing the operation of the law. Previously, he had sworn and asserted that he would answer for nearly thirty cases involving corruption, but the prosecutor amended the charges on the first day of the trial.
A quick conclusion to a case that was expected to drag on for months could deepen a scandal that has tested the rich country’s reputation for clean governance since the first investigation emerged last year. It also paves the way for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong—who took office in May—to lead the ruling People’s Action Party in the November 2025 general election.
Read more: Wave of Scandals Tests Singapore Government’s Ability to Criticize
“The sentence underscores the court’s strong stance against any crime of corruption,” said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University. “There is no doubt that the court has laid the foundation for maintaining the integrity of public companies.”
Justice Hoong granted the request that the 62-year-old be jailed from Oct 7. It is possible that Iswaran may appeal the sentence, with his defense lawyer noting that his surrender is subject to any possible pleas.
Prosecutors had asked that he be sentenced to seven months in prison, while his lawyers who prosecuted him did not ask for more than eight weeks. Justice Hoong said that Iswaran’s contributions to public service and to Singapore are, in fact, a neutral factor in sentencing.
Since the beginning of this year, Iswaran has been charged with 35 crimes including graft. He is alleged to have received more than S$403,000 ($313,000) in luxury goods including tickets to concerts and soccer matches in the UK. Most of the court cases dealt with Iswaran’s dealings with tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. and is chairman of race promoter Singapore GP Pte Ltd.
A spokesman for Ong declined to comment. The building executive has not been charged and Attorney-General Chambers said he would “make a decision” soon.
Among the amended charges, Iswaran pleaded guilty to obtaining tickets to the Singapore F1 Grand Prix in 2022, an overnight stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha, and flights including a private jet to Qatar. In agreeing to the charge, Iswaran returned more than S$380,000, while the gifts were confiscated.
Iswaran “abused his position” by receiving gifts from Ong, Justice Hoong said.
Known for bringing F1 racing to Singapore, Iswaran is the first minister to be implicated in a graft investigation since 1986 when then Minister for National Development Teh Cheang Wan was investigated for accepting bribes. Teh denied receiving the money and died before he could be formally charged.
The last time a former ruling party minister was sentenced to prison in Singapore was in 1975. Then Environment Minister Wee Toon Boon was sentenced to 18 months in prison for accepting a two-storey house and land.
Source link
