Singapore begins first ministerial corruption trial in nearly half a century

KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore’s first ministerial corruption trial in almost half a century began on Tuesday, with former Transport Minister S. Iswaran facing charges in a rare scandal in the Asian financial hub known for its spotless governance.

Iswaran, a former politician from the long-ruling People’s Action Party, pleaded guilty in January to 35 charges of accepting gifts, such as concert tickets and golf clubs, worth 403,000 Singapore dollars ($312,000), corruption and obstructing justice.

But in a surprising twist early in the trial, local media reported that prosecutors will now proceed with only five charges. These include four related to government officials who obtained valuables and one charge of obstructing justice, Channel News Asia reported.

It said prosecutors would file a motion to include the remaining 30 charges in sentencing. No reasons were given for the decision.

Singapore’s ministers are among the highest-paid in the world. Although the amount charged against Iswaran appeared to be relatively small, his indictment is a disgrace to the PAP, which prides itself on a clean image. The last cabinet minister to be charged with corruption was Wee Toon Boon, who was convicted in 1975 and imprisoned for accepting gifts in exchange for helping a businessman. Another cabinet minister was investigated for corruption in 1986 but died before being charged.

Iswaran resigned just before he was charged and has vowed to clear his name. His trial comes just over four months after Singapore installed a new prime minister, Lawrence Wong, to succeed Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down after 20 years at the helm.

Lee said before stepping down that Iswaran’s case was being dealt with vigorously in accordance with the law and vowed to uphold his government’s reputation for honesty and incorruptibility. The case could cast a shadow over the PAP ahead of a general election in late 2025.

Iswaran, 62, was allegedly given the goods by Malaysian property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, some in exchange for helping the Singaporean man develop his business interests. The gifts included free tickets to the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix, as well as football matches and musicals in Britain. Ong owns the rights to the local Formula One race, and Iswaran was chairman and later an adviser to the Grand Prix steering committee.

He also allegedly obtained 10 bottles of whiskey, 12 bottles of wine and other items from businessman Lum Kok Seng, whose company has employment contracts with the government. Although the contracts were awarded before Iswaran became transport minister in 2021, the indictment says he knew about Lum’s business dealings with his ministry.

Attorney General Chambers said he would decide whether to charge Ong and Lum once the case against Iswaran has been concluded, based on the evidence presented in court.