Singapore Ex-Minister Sentenced to Year in Jail After Bribery Conviction

Former transport minister S. Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to bribery and obstruction of justice, with the judge handing out a sentence even longer than that sought by prosecutors.

“Trust and confidence in public institutions are the bedrock of effective governance,” Justice Vincent Hoong said. “This can all too easily be undermined by the appearance that an individual public servant has fallen below the standards of integrity and accountability.”

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The judge agreed to allow the 62-year-old, the first ex-minister in Singapore to receive a prison term since 1975, to be jailed from Oct 7. Iswaran last week pleaded guilty last week to four charges of obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one count of obstruction of justice, despite initially vowing to defend himself over nearly three dozen counts including corruption.

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A swift conclusion to a trial that was expected to drag on for months may put to bed a scandal that has tested the wealthy island nation’s reputation for clean governance since the initial investigation came to light last year. It also clears the way for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong — who came to power in May — to lead the ruling People’s Action Party in a general election that must be held by November 2025.

The prosecutors asked for a seven-month jail term, while his defense lawyers sought no more than eight weeks.