11.4 C
London
Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Former Singapore Minister of Transport sentenced to prison for corruption

Must read

- Advertisement -


Singapore is considered one of the countries with the strictest penal code, but also with the lowest level of corruption. It is therefore not surprising that the trial of the former Minister of Transport, accused of receiving financial benefits, came as a shock to the local society. He was just sentenced to a year in prison for this. This is even more than the prosecutor wanted.

There hasn't been a case like this in Singapore for almost half a century. In January this year, Minister S. Iswaran was accused of accepting valuable gifts from people with whom he officially cooperated. In Singapore it is banned for public figures. Meanwhile, during his term of office, the minister allegedly accepted benefits worth over $300,000 in total.

When the charges were brought against him, he resigned. “The Corruption Investigation Bureau has accused me of many crimes. I reject these accusations and will focus on clearing my name,” we read in his resignation letter.

SingaporeReuters Archive

- Advertisement -

The case outraged the people of Singapore

However, 62-year-old Iswaran failed to defend himself in court and eventually pleaded guilty to the five charges against him, and the one-year prison sentence imposed on him was five months longer than the prosecutor's request. The judge decided that the sentence must be more severe, otherwise trust in public institutions could be undermined.

SEE ALSO: Ranking of the most expensive cities in the world. One with a sharp drop of 105 places

The case outraged the people of Singapore even more because the minister was considered to have made significant contributions to the country's development. He has served in the government in various positions for 13 years. He played a significant role in bringing Formula 1 racing to this city-state – an investigation revealed that he accepted free tickets for these competitions.

Other allegations also included accepting tickets for English Premier League matches and traveling on a private jet. The former minister is scheduled to report to prison on October 7 to serve his sentence.

Facts about the World TVN24 BiS

Main photo source: Reuters



Source link

More articles

- Advertisement -

Latest article