A court in Singapore sentenced a former transport minister to 12 months in prison on charges of receiving more than £228,600 worth of gifts in a rare criminal case involving a cabinet member. Subramaniam Iswaran, who has been a cabinet member for 13 years, pleaded guilty last week to one count of obstructing justice and four counts of improperly receiving gifts from people with whom he conducted official business. Iswaran, 62, is the first political officeholder in nearly four decades to be subjected to a corruption investigation in a case that shocked the country known for its clean governance.
Singapore is one of the top five least corrupt governments, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2022. The sentence handed down by presiding judge Vincent Hoong was more severe than the six to seven months sought by the prosecution. Mr Hoong said the sentence was "manifestly inadequate" given the gravity of Iswaran's offences and their impact on public trust.
"Trust and confidence in public institutions were the bedrock of effective governance, which could all too easily be undermined by the appearance that an individual public servant had fallen below the standards of integrity and accountability," he said. Iswaran was initially charged with 35 counts, but prosecutors proceeded with only five, while reducing two counts of corruption to receiving illegal gifts. Prosecutors said they will apply for the remaining 30 charges to be taken into considera.
