(Bloomberg) -- A Singapore court will sentence S. Iswaran on Thursday after the former transport minister pleaded guilty to bribery and obstruction of justice, marking a quick end to one of the biggest political scandals in decades.
Iswaran arrived at the Singapore High Court just after 9:20 a.m. local time for his sentencing hearing slated to start at 10 a.m. His family members including his wife were seen queuing for tickets to the court’s public gallery at around 6:10 a.m., local media reported.
The 62-year-old pleaded guilty last week to four charges of obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one count of obstruction of justice. The former politician initially vowed to defend himself over nearly three dozen counts including corruption, but the prosecution amended the charges on the first day.
If Iswaran gets a prison term, he would become the first ex-minister in Singapore to be sentenced to jail since 1975. The prosecutors asked for a seven-month jail term, while his defense lawyers are seeking no more than eight weeks. The court will also take into consideration the 30 other charges in sentencing.
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 PAP has won every election since independence in 1965, and then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in August last year vowed that the handling of the Iswaran case would show the party is clean. “The PAP has taken a hit,” he told parliament. “But we will show Singaporeans that we will uphold standards and do the right thing, so that trust is maintained, and the Singapore system continues to work well.”
Since January, Iswaran has been charged with 35 counts including graft. He was alleged to have obtained more than S$403,000 ($313,000) in luxury goods including tickets to musicals and soccer matches in the UK. Most of the court charges dealt with Iswaran’s interactions with tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix and is chairman of race promoter Singapore GP Pte Ltd.
Ong’s spokesman declined to comment. The property mogul has not been charged and the Attorney-General’s Chambers said it will “take a decision” on him soon.
Among the amended charges, Iswaran pleaded guilty to obtaining tickets for the Singapore F1 Grand Prix in 2022, a night’s stay in Four Seasons Hotel Doha, and flights including being aboard a private jet to Qatar. In agreeing to the guilty plea, Iswaran returned more than S$380,000, while gifts were forfeited to the state.
For the offense of bribery, Iswaran was charged under Section 165 of the penal code that carries with it a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine, or both. Obstruction of justice under Section 204A can carry a jail sentence of up to seven years.
In amending the charges, the Attorney-General’s Chambers said it weighed the litigation risks involved in proving the corruption charges beyond a reasonable doubt, “given that there are two primary parties to the transactions, and both would have an interest in denying corruption in the transactions.”
It’s relatively easier for the prosecution to prove a bribery case than a corruption case, said Eugene Tan, professor of law with Singapore Management University. “Public resources are saved without a prolonged trial and the uncompromising stance against corruption underscored all the same,” he added.
Known for bringing F1 racing to Singapore, Iswaran is the first minister to get embroiled in a graft probe since 1986 when then-Minister for National Development Teh Cheang Wan was investigated for accepting bribes. Teh denied receiving the money and died before he could be formally charged.
The last time a former minister from the ruling party was sentenced to jail in Singapore was in 1975. Then-Minister of State for Environment Wee Toon Boon was sentenced to 18 months in jail for accepting a two-story house and land.
--With assistance from Natalie Choy.
(Updates that Iswaran arrives at court in second paragraph.)
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