Former Singapore Minister S Iswaran Pleads Guilty to Charges Involving $400,000 in Benefits and Obstruction of Justice

SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (Sep 24), former Transport Minister S Iswaran pleaded guilty to four charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code and one charge of obstructing justice, relating to his involvement in receiving over S$400,000 in valuable items. This marked a dramatic turn after months of asserting he would fight the charges in court.

The charges involve a range of valuable gifts, including tickets to the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, theatre shows, whisky, and international flights. These gifts, exceeding S$400,000 in value, were provided by property tycoon Ong Beng Seng and construction firm boss Lum Kok Seng. While both businessmen have not been charged, their involvement is central to the case.

One of the key charges Iswaran admitted to was accepting complimentary tickets to the 2022 Singapore F1 Grand Prix, including 10 Green Room tickets worth S$48,150 and 32 general admission tickets valued at S$41,216. These gifts were linked to Ong, the majority shareholder of Singapore GP, and were given while Iswaran oversaw the Grand Prix as part of his ministerial duties.

In a separate incident in December 2022, Iswaran accepted a private jet flight to Qatar, a stay at Four Seasons Doha, and a business class flight back to Singapore, all arranged by Ong. Iswaran did not disclose these gifts to the government and only paid for part of the trip after learning the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was investigating.

The obstruction of justice charge stems from Iswaran's efforts to conceal his dealings, particularly by paying for the business-class return flight only after being informed about CPIB’s inquiry.

Iswaran faces up to seven years for obstruction of justice and two years for obtaining gifts as a public servant. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct 3.

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