For months, Singaporeans have been in the dark about what the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was investigating former Transport Minister S Iswaran for.
On Thursday (18 Jan), these allegations came to light after Mr Iswaran was handed 27 charges in court.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
The charges accused the 61-year-old of receiving kickbacks including tickets to theatre shows, football matches, and the Singapore Grand Prix (GP).
The Straits Times reported that 24 of the 27 charges Mr Iswaran faces have to do with accepting valuables while he was a public servant.
The value of these items, which traced back to Nov 2015, reportedly exceeded S$218,000.
The Business Times wrote that the items Mr Iswaran allegedly accepted included tickets to five football games in the United Kingdom (UK):
The matches in question seemingly took place in London.
The former Transport Minister was also accused of receiving kickbacks in the form of tickets to theatre shows:
Mr Iswaran allegedly received the football match and show tickets from property tycoon Mr Ong Beng Seng for “no consideration” through the latter’s company Como Holdings.
Source: S Iswaran on Facebook
The former minister faces a corruption charge for allegedly receiving gratification amounting to S$145,434 from Mr Ong in exchange for advancing the latter’s business interest.
The business interest had to do with a contract between Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
The charges additionally accused Mr Iswaran of receiving tickets to the Singapore GP from Mr Ong, who owns the rights to the racing event.
The former Transport Minister allegedly received these tickets despite knowing that they were connected to his role then as Chairman of the F1 Steering Committee.
The charge sheet also stated that Mr Iswaran corruptly obtained a Singapore-Doha flight worth about US$7,700 (S$10,410.40) on Mr Ong’s private jet.
He also allegedly received a night’s stay at Four Seasons Doha, valued at about S$4,737.63.
Mr Iswaran then returned to Singapore via a Business-Class flight valued at S$5,700.
These expenses, racked up in Dec 2022, were allegedly paid through Mr Ong’s company, Singapore GP.
Mr Iswaran received a second corruption charge in relation to this trip, which was reportedly an “inducement” to advance Ong’s interest with STB.
In May 2023, two months before Mr Iswaran was arrested by CPIB, the then-Minister allegedly repaid S$5,700 to Singapore GP for his Doha-Singapore flight.
He faces an additional charge of obstructing justice over this repayment.
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Featured image adapted from S Iswaran on Facebook and Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.
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