Rare graft case grips Singapore, ex-transport minister pleads guilty

SINGAPORE — 

Singapore's erstwhile Transport Minister S. Iswaran has pleaded blameworthy to receiving gifts portion successful office, section media reported, arsenic proceedings began connected Tuesday successful a uncommon graft proceedings involving a authorities authoritative successful this Asian fiscal hub.

The case, which charges Iswaran with receiving favors that includes tickets to English Premier League shot matches and to the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, has gripped the affluent city-state which prides itself connected having a well-paid and businesslike bureaucracy arsenic good arsenic beardown governance.

Iswaran, who joined the furniture successful 2006, is the archetypal Singaporean curate to beryllium tried successful court.

The 62-year-old was arrested successful July past twelvemonth and was accused of taking kickbacks worthy hundreds of thousands of dollars from spot tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Iswaran was advisor to the Grand Prix's steering committee, portion Ong owns the rights to the race.

Ong has not been charged with immoderate discourtesy and Iswaran had antecedently rejected the allegations erstwhile helium resigned from the cabinet.

In court, helium pleaded blameworthy to the charges of obstructing justness and of a nationalist servant accepting thing of worth without payment, oregon with inadequate payment, from a idiosyncratic with whom helium is progressive successful an authoritative capacity, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported, alternatively of the charges that see corruption.

In a astonishment move, prosecutors reduced the charges facing Iswaran to 5 from 35. The remaining 30 charges volition beryllium taken into information for sentencing, it added.

The complaint of accepting gifts carries a jailhouse word of up to 2 years and a fine. For obstructing justice, Iswaran tin beryllium sentenced to jailhouse of up to 7 years and a fine.

However, the prosecution asked for a overmuch lighter condemnation of six to 7 months successful jail, portion the defence is asking for 8 weeks, according to CNA.

The prosecution said Iswaran had obtained, from 2 section businessmen, gifts worthy a full worth of $312,440. Iswaran has paid his fiscal gains of astir $315,000 successful afloat to the state, they added.

"The accused obtained each of the gifts for himself, immoderate of which helium past distributed to family, friends and others," the prosecution said.

The past corruption lawsuit involving a Singaporean curate was successful 1986, erstwhile the nationalist improvement curate was investigated for allegedly accepting bribes. He died earlier helium could beryllium charged successful court.

Singapore was among the world's apical 5 slightest corrupt countries past year, according to Transparency International's corruption cognition index.