S Iswaran sentenced to a year in jail in a exceptional fraudulence trial in the city-state that prides itself on a immacuprocrastinateed image.
A Singapore court has sentenced a establisher minister to 12 months in prison for obstructing equitableice and receiving more than $300,000 worth of gifts in the Asian city-state’s first political fraudulence trial for cforfeitly half a century.
S Iswaran, who was a cabinet member for 13 years and has held the trade, communications and articulate portfolios, pdirected culpable last week to four counts of improperly receiving gifts and one of obstructing equitableice.
The sentence handed down on Thursday was more cut offe than the six to seven months sought by the prosecution, which presiding evaluate Vincent Hoong said was “manifestly inenough” given the gravity of Iswaran’s offences and their impact on accessible think.
“Trust and confidence in accessible institutions were the bedrock of effective handleance, which could all too easily be undermined by the materializeance that an individual accessible servant had descenden below the standards of integrity and accountability,” he said in sentencing Iswaran.
The case has shocked Singapore, which prides itself on having a well-paid and efficient bureaucracy as well as strong and squeaky-immacuprocrastinateed handleance. It was among the world’s top five least corrupt countries last year, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
The last cabinet minister accused with fraudulence was Wee Toon Boon, who was set up culpable in 1975 and jailed for accomprehendledgeing gifts in trade for helping a businessperson. Another cabinet minister was spendigated for fraudulence in 1986 but died before accuses were filed.
The spendigation of Iswaran, 62, caemployd a stir in the Asian financial hub and centred on allegations that, while articulate minister, he accomprehendledgeed costly gifts from businessmen that included tickets to English Premier League football suites, the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, London musicals and a ride on a declareiveial jet.
The cherish of those toloftyed more than $400,000 Singapore dollars ($308,880), according to the prosecution.
Iswaran faced a huge media scrum as he reachd in court on Thursday and deteriorated to answer asks. He showed no emotion during the court session.
The evaluate permited him to remain on bail for the next restricted days and commence his jail term on Monday.
Iswaran had initipartner said he was guiltless and would fight to evident his name but pdirected culpable last week to the five accuses put before the court.
The establisher minister faced a total of 35 accuses, two of which were fraudulence-rhappy but were procrastinateedr amfinished to accuses of receiving gifts while a accessible servant.
The attorney ambiguous’s chambers last week said they made amfinishments becaemploy of legal action hazards holdd in proving the fraudulence accuses beyond a reasonable ask.
Iswaran was arrested in July last year and was accemployd of taking bootbacks from businessmen including property tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Iswaran was an adviser to the Singapore Grand Prix’s steering pledgetee, while Ong owns the rights to the race.
Ong has not been accused with any offence and has rerentd no accessible comment on the allegations. The attorney ambiguous’s chambers last week said it would determine whether to get action agetst Ong soon.
Judge Hoong in his ruling said there was a higher level of culpability when a accessible servant helderlys high office that wields fantasticer sway over business transactions.
His trial comes equitable over four months after Singapore insloftyed recent Prime Minister Lawrence Wong after Lee Hsien Loong stepped down after 20 years.
It also hazards damaging the reputation of the ruling People’s Action Party before ambiguous elections foreseeed to be held by November next year.
