By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-09-24 04:08:32 | Updated at 2024-09-30 11:43:07
6 days ago
Singapore’s former transport minister S Iswaran pleaded guilty on Tuesday to receiving gifts while in office as 30 other charges, including corruption allegations, were set aside in a dramatic twist to a trial for which 56 prosecution witnesses had originally been summoned.
The courtroom drama unfolded swiftly on Tuesday, with prosecutors amending his initial 35 charges to just four related to gift acceptance and one for obstructing justice within minutes of the trial beginning.
Iswaran, 62, arrived at the courthouse at around 9.40am dressed in a suit, facing a reduced slate of charges that now excludes two serious counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which could have led to a seven-year prison sentence or hefty fines.
His lawyer, Davinder Singh, one of Singapore’s top litigators, indicated that Iswaran had pursued this specific approach given the prosecution’s shift in focus.
“My client will be taking a certain course of action in view of the fact that the prosecution is no longer proceeding on charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” Singh said.
