Singapore: Former Singapore Transport Minister S. Iswaran, of Indian origin, was sentenced to one year in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to five charges related to corruption and blocking justice in the High Court on September 24. The sentence is higher than the six to seven months requested by the Prosecutor’s Office, which Judge Hoong considers “manifestly inadequate.”
The higher the public official position held by the offender, the higher his level of culpability, Judge Hoong said. The former minister is the first person to be prosecuted under Section 165 in post-independence Singapore, The Straits Times reported.
Judge Vincent Hoong looks at mitigating factors that the defense has highlighted, including Iswaran’s public service to Singapore, his voluntary repayment of benefits and his early guilty plea. As the rest of the 30 charges taken into consideration bear similarities to the procedural charges for which he received gifts, the judge said these charges reveal the scale and repetition of the offense over a significant period of time. This is a factor that increases culpability, says Judge Hoong.
His public service and contributions to Singapore were, at best, a neutral factor, the judge adds. Judge Hoong says he finds it hard to believe Iswaran was remorseful, as the latter had made public statements rejecting the charges as false. He added that he cannot accept the defense’s allegations. The defendant is only entitled to a sentence discount of up to 10 percent.
expensive gifts
The investigation caused a stir in the Asian financial hub and centered on allegations that Iswaran, while transport minister, accepted expensive gifts from businessmen that included tickets to English Premier League soccer matches, the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix , London musicals and a trip on a private boat. jet. The value of these amounted to more than 400,000 Singapore dollars (308,880.31), according to the prosecution.
Iswaran, 62, faced a huge media rush when he arrived at court and refused to answer questions. He showed no emotion during the court session. The judge allowed him to remain free on bail for the next few days and begin his jail term on Monday. Iswaran had initially said he was innocent and would fight to clear his name, but last week he pleaded guilty to all five charges brought before the court. The former minister faced a total of 35 charges, two of which were related to corruption, but were later amended to charges of receiving gifts while a public official.
Last week, the attorney general’s office said they made amendments because of the litigation risks involved in proving corruption charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Iswaran was arrested in July last year and accused of receiving bribes from businessmen including property tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Iswaran was an advisor to the Singapore Grand Prix steering committee, while Ong owns the rights to the race. Ong has not been charged with any crime and has not issued any public comment on the allegations. The attorney general’s chambers said last week it would decide soon whether to take action against Ong. Justice Hoong in his ruling said there was a higher level of culpability when a public servant holds a senior position that exercises greater influence over business transactions.
($1 = 1.2950 Singapore dollars)
(With contributions from the agency)
READ ALSO: Woman of Indian origin accused in Singapore for carrying watermelon-print umbrella | KNOW WHY
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.