Image Caption: Former Singapore minister S Iswaran received gifts such as Premier League tickets
Featured Image: James Kirkup on Unsplash
A former Singapore minister has been jailed for one year after receiving over £230,000 (€275,000/$302,000) worth of gifts, including tickets for Premier League games and West End shows.
According to report from Sky News, Subramaniam Iswaran (commonly known as S. Iswaran), who was a member of Singapore’s government for 13 years in trade, communications and transport roles, pleaded guilty recently to four counts of improperly receiving gifts and one of obstructing justice.
Iswaran also accepted gifts such as a trip on a private jet and tickets to the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. He was jailed for a year – more than the six to seven months sought by the prosecution – because of the potential impact on public trust.
Judge Vincent Hoong said: “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.”
Iswaran was initially charged with 35 counts, but prosecutors proceeded with just five and also reduced two counts of corruption to receiving illegal gifts.
The former minister originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, but entered into a guilty plea in September. He will begin his jail term on Monday.
Iswaran held the roles of Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations between 2018 and 2024, and Minister for Transport between 2021 and 2024. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the West Coast division of West Coast GRC between 2001 and 2024, and formed part of the People’s Action Party.
He resigned from his roles in January this year.
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