Criminal investigation of S Iswaran

Public Prosecutor v. S Iswaran[1] is a pending lawsuit by the Attorney-General of Singapore against Singaporean former politician Subramaniam Iswaran, who faces 27 charges of "obtaining gratification as a public servant",[2] corruption,[3] and obstructing justice.[4]

## Investigation[edit]

On 29 May 2023, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) alerted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong about "information concerning (Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S Iswaran) that merited investigation".[5] The last minister to be investigated by the CPIB had been Teh Cheang Wan in 1986.[6]

On 11 July 2023,[4] the CPIB officially began a criminal investigation into Iswaran's dealings with Malaysian billionaire Ong Beng Seng and his businesses, including Como Holdings (UK) and Singapore Grand Prix.[3][7] Both Iswaran and Ong were arrested on the same day and given bail.[5]

On 2 August 2023, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that he had instructed Iswaran to take a leave of absence until the conclusion of the CPIB's investigation. Lee also revealed that Iswaran's monthly ministerial pay had been reduced to S$8,500,[5] although he would continue to receive his full yearly allowance of S$192,500 as a Member of Parliament.[8]

On 9 January 2024, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing announced on behalf of Prime Minister Lee that the CPIB's investigation had concluded.[9] The Attorney-General's Chambers subsequently began reviewing the case.[4]

## Charges[edit]

The charges against Iswaran were publicly announced on 18 January 2024.[7] Arriving at the State Courts of Singapore around 8am,[7] Iswaran pleaded not guilty to 27 charges, including 24 violations of Section 165 of the Penal Code ("obtaining gratification as a public servant");[2][10] two violations of Section 6(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act;[11] and one count of obstruction of justice.[10]

The prosecution, comprising Chief Prosecutor Tan Kiat Pheng, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jiang Ke-Yue, and Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelvin Chong,[7] alleged that between 2015 and 2022, Iswaran obtained as bribes items valued at more than S$384,000,[12] including hotel stays, private jet and business class flights to and from Doha, as well as tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix and various football matches and performances in the United Kingdom.[7] The same day, Iswaran announced that he had resigned as Cabinet minister, Member of Parliament for West Coast Group Representation Constituency, and member of the People's Action Party on 16 January.[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "SC-900437-2024 PP v. S Iswaran". Singapore Courts. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
2. ^ a b Ng, Kelly; Wong, Tessa (18 January 2024). "Singapore minister Iswaran charged in rare corruption case". BBC News. Retrieved 18 January 2024. "Subramaniam Iswaran pleaded not guilty to 27 charges including "obtaining gratification as a public servant"."
3. ^ a b Low, De Wei; Heijmans, Philip; Mokhtar, Faris (18 January 2024). "Singapore Ex-Minister's Graft Charges: 'Kinky Boots' and Soccer". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
4. ^ a b c d "Timeline: Iswaran's 6 months – from start of graft probe to pleading not guilty and resigning". CNA. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
5. ^ a b c Tan, Judith (3 August 2023). "Iswaran's monthly pay cut to $8,500 until further notice amid CPIB probe: PM Lee". The Straits Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
6. ^ Strangio, Sebastian (18 January 2024). "Singapore's Ex-Transport Minister Charged With 27 Offenses, Including Corruption". The Diplomat.
7. ^ a b c d e Devaraj, Samuel; Alkhatib, Shaffiq (18 January 2023). "Former transport minister S. Iswaran faces 27 charges including corruption, says he is not guilty". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
8. ^ "'I am innocent': Iswaran rejects allegations against him, says he will focus on clearing his name". CNA. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
9. ^ "CPIB probe into Iswaran completed, case under review by AGC". CNA. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
10. ^ a b Zalizan, Taufiq; Ong, Jasmine (18 January 2024). "Iswaran handed 27 charges for corruption, obtaining valuables as a public servant and obstructing justice". Today. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
11. ^ Tang, Louisa (18 January 2024). "CNA Explains: Iswaran's charges – Section 165, 'obtain' vs 'accept' and other legal nuances". CNA. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
12. ^ Lakshmi, A. Anantha (18 January 2024). "Singapore minister charged with corruption over kickbacks from tycoon". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 January 2024. "The charges allege he received kickbacks totalling more than S$384,000 (US$285,770) in value between 2015 and 2022, according to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau."