Singapore Transport Minister S. Iswaran appeared in court after a graft probe, the latest development in the biggest political scandal to hit the city state in close to four decades.
Iswaran, 61, arrived at the Singapore State Courts with a legal team on Thursday.
He is the first key minister to get embroiled in a graft probe since 1986. He and property tycoon Ong Beng Seng were arrested and released on bail in July in a case that’s challenged Singapore’s reputation for clean governance at a time when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is seeking to step aside after almost two decades of leading the country.
The anti-corruption agency, which reports directly to Lee, said earlier in January that it completed months of investigations into the case, but didn’t specify what wrongdoing was involved.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers said it has received the anti-corruption bureau’s findings and said at the time it couldn’t comment as the matter is under review. Lee had instructed Iswaran to take a leave of absence until the investigation is completed.
Iswaran was also barred from official resources and government buildings. His pay was slashed to S$8,500 ($6,320) a month, marking an 82% cut from a starting salary of S$46,750 in Singapore, where government leaders are among the best paid in the world to avoid corruption.
Iswaran and Ong would have interacted over the years as a matter of course, with the minister’s roles in trade and transport intersecting with the property tycoon known for helping bring the Formula One Grand Prix to Singapore. Iswaran has long championed the Singapore F1 night race in his various capacities.
The corruption scandal is one in a series of controversies sending shockwaves through the ruling People’s Action Party, which had two lawmakers unexpectedly resigning over an affair. In September, the son of former premier Goh Chok Tong was among the four people charged for false trading offenses. – Bloomberg
