Singapore ex-minister Iswaran convicted, prosecution asks for 6 to 7 months’ jail
S Iswaran, Singapore’s ex-transport minister, will be sentenced on October 3 for obtaining gifts as a public servant and obstructing justice
The courtroom drama unfolded swiftly, with prosecutors narrowing down 35 initial charges to just five, focusing on gift acceptance and obstruction of justice. As a result, Iswaran is likely to receive a shorter sentence.
His sentence will be delivered on October 3.
The prosecution, which initially called 56 witnesses, recommended six to seven months in prison, while Iswaran’s legal team argued for just eight weeks.
Davinder Singh, Iswaran’s lawyer and one of Singapore’s top litigators, argued that the gifts in question – valued at around S$400,000 (US$308,800) – had resulted in “little or no harm” and were exchanged in the context of “friendship”.
The case has drawn significant attention in Singapore, which prides itself on a strict zero-tolerance approach to corruption. Ministers in the city state are well paid, and the country consistently ranks high on global anti-corruption indices.
