8-2-2024 (SINGAPORE) former transport minister S. Iswaran has been granted permission to temporarily leave Singapore to settle his son into university in Australia. This comes three weeks after Iswaran was charged with 27 counts, to which he pleaded not guilty.
On February 8, Iswaran, who is currently on $800,000 bail, appeared at the State Courts at approximately 2:30 PM to seek approval for his departure from the jurisdiction. The prosecution imposed several conditions on this application, including a cash bail of $500,000. Iswaran is required to provide his itinerary and overseas address to the investigation officer (IO) and remain accessible to the IO. Moreover, he must surrender his travel documents within 24 hours of returning to Singapore.
Iswaran’s bailor, identified in court as Mr. Ng, agreed to these conditions before the judge. When approached by The Straits Times after the hearing to inquire about his relation to Iswaran, Mr. Ng chose not to respond and walked away.
The case involving Iswaran will be transferred to the High Court, as stated by the prosecution, citing significant public interest. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jiang Ke-Yue and Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelvin Chong did not provide further details regarding this decision. Chief Prosecutor Tan Kiat Pheng, who leads the prosecution team, was not present in court, and Senior Counsel Davinder Singh from Davinder Singh Chambers, who is leading Iswaran’s defense team, was also absent.
Defence lawyer Navin Shanmugaraj Thevar requested an early trial for Iswaran, emphasizing the importance of fully airing the evidence and resolving the matter promptly. In January, Thevar wrote to the prosecution to express Iswaran’s request for an early trial and agreed that the case should be heard in the High Court.
Thevar then sought the prosecution’s agreement for an early trial, suggesting that it should be feasible considering the ample time authorities have had to investigate the matter. In response, Jiang highlighted the need to consider the judge’s schedule in the High Court and proposed addressing the matter during a case conference.
On February 8, all 27 charges against Iswaran were read to him, as required when a case is transferred to the High Court. A criminal case disclosure conference for the proceedings is scheduled to take place on March 22 at the High Court.
Among the charges faced by Iswaran are 24 counts of obtaining items with a total value exceeding $200,000 from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who played a significant role in bringing Formula One to Singapore in 2008. The items in question include tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix, football matches in Britain, and musicals. Some of the charges pertain to alleged incidents that occurred between 2015 and 2021, involving tickets to a football match between West Ham United and Everton, as well as shows such as “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.”
Additionally, Iswaran faces a charge of obstructing the course of justice, which allegedly took place around May 25, 2023. According to court documents, he had allegedly repaid $5,700, the cost of his business class flight ticket from Doha to Singapore, which he had taken on December 11, 2022, at Mr. Ong’s expense through Singapore GP.
Iswaran was arrested in July 2023 by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) as part of its probe into a separate matter. Mr. Ong was also arrested that same month in connection with the corruption investigation.
Following his court appearance on January 18, Iswaran released a statement asserting his innocence and expressing his determination to clear his name.
Having served as an MP for West Coast GRC since his election in 1997, Iswaran was promoted to full minister in the Prime Minister’s Office in 2011. In January, he resigned from the People’s Action Party, stepped down as transport minister, and relinquished his role as West Coast GRC MP.
If found guilty of each corruption charge, Iswaran could face a fine of up to $100,000, imprisonment for up to seven years, or both. Obtaining valuable items from someone with whom he had business dealings as a public servant could result in a fine, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. The charge of obstructing the course of justice carries a potential penalty of imprisonment for up to seven years, a fine, or both.
