Singapore former minister bags 18months jail term for receiving gift

A Singapore court has sentenced former minister, Subramaniam Iswaran, to 18 months imprisonment for obstructing justice and accepting gifts and bribes from businessmen while serving as the country’s transport minister.

According to the prosecution body, investigations show that Iswaran while the transport minister accepted expensive gifts from businessmen including tickets to English Premier League soccer matches, the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, London musicals, and a ride on a private jet.

The ruling judge, Vincent Hoong who sentenced Iswaran, turned down the prosecutors request of 7months jail term for the former minister after reviewing all evidences against him.

“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,” Hoong said.

However, the judge allowed him to remain on bail for the next few days and begin his jail term on Monday.

The former minister arrested in July last year faced 35 charges, two of which were corruption-related but were later amended to charges of receiving gifts while a public servant.

He had initially said he was innocent and would fight to clear his name but pleaded guilty last week to the five charges put before the court.

Singapore, renowned for its efficient bureaucracy and clean governance, has been shaken by a high-profile corruption case involving a former government minister, the first since 1986, when its national minister was investigated for alleged bribery.

This scandal tarnishes the country’s reputation, ranking among the world’s top five least corrupt nations by Transparency International’s corruption perception index.