25-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) The corruption scandal enveloping former Transport Minister S Iswaran took a dramatic turn on Monday (Mar 25) as he returned to court to face eight fresh charges, compounding the legal woes that have already tarnished his once-illustrious career. The new allegations, leveled under Section 165 of the Penal Code, accuse Iswaran of obtaining valuable items from a man named Lum Kok Seng, who is listed online as the managing director of Lum Chang Holdings.
The charges paint a damning picture, alleging that Iswaran knowingly accepted an array of luxury goods, including bottles of premium whisky, golf clubs, and even a Brompton bicycle, all while aware of Lum’s business connections to his ministerial role. The offenses are said to have occurred between November 2021 and November 2022, a period during which Iswaran served as the nation’s Transport Minister.
The alleged items obtained from Lum during this time frame include four bottles of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila whisky worth S$1,084.46, two bottles of the same whisky valued at S$524.23, and an assortment of high-end wines totaling over S$2,700. Additionally, Iswaran is accused of accepting a TaylorMade golf driver worth S$749, a set of Honma Beres BE-08 Black AQ MX golf clubs valued at a staggering S$4,420, and a Brompton T Line bicycle priced at S$7,907.50.
The charges also detail Iswaran’s alleged acceptance of two bottles of M&H Elements Sherry Cask whisky worth S$198, a Scotty Cameron Phantom golf putter worth S$600, and two golf chippers, each valued at S$100.
The revelations have cast a spotlight on Lum Chang Building Contractors, a subsidiary of Lum Chang Holdings, which secured a lucrative S$325 million contract from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2016 for addition and alteration works at the Tanah Merah MRT station and existing viaducts. The project, which includes the construction of an additional platform, concourse, and entrances, as well as the addition of tracks and viaducts, is directly linked to Iswaran’s former ministerial responsibilities.
Lum Chang Building Contractors also holds another ongoing project with the LTA, involving the construction of the North-South Corridor (Tunnel) between Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 9, awarded in December 2018. However, the LTA has stated that it has not awarded any contracts to the company since 2019.
In court, Iswaran, 61, maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to the fresh charges, which now bring the total number of allegations against him to a staggering 35. His legal team, comprising Mr Navin Thevar, Mr Rajvinder Singh, and Ms Sheiffa Safi Shirbeeni of Davinder Singh Chambers, expressed concern over the timing of the new charges, questioning why they were brought forth only now, despite the matters being raised with Iswaran by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) as early as July and August of the previous year.
The defence further alleged that the prosecution had previously indicated its intention to drop nine charges after reviewing the evidence, with no mention of the possibility of additional charges being filed. The late introduction of these new allegations has raised eyebrows and added another layer of complexity to an already convoluted legal saga.
Iswaran’s legal team has vowed to vigorously defend against the mounting accusations, setting the stage for what promises to be a high-profile trial that will undoubtedly capture the nation’s attention in the months ahead.
