SINGAPORE — A former Singapore cabinet minister has been sentenced to a year in prison for receiving illegal gifts while in office, in a case that has shocked a country famed for its squeaky-clean reputation.
Subramaniam Iswaran is the first Singaporean minister to be jailed in almost fifty years, after the 62-year-old admitted to his misdemeanors in a dramatic court hearing last week.
The former transport minister had vowed to clear his name after facing 35 charges, including corruption, for receiving gifts in excess of $300,000. These included flights, hotel stays and tickets to musicals and football matches.
But in a surprise twist, Iswaran plead guilty to lesser charges, after the prosecution proceeded with four counts of obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one charge of obstructing justice.
Subramaniam Iswaran is the first Singaporean minister to be jailed in almost fifty years, after the 62-year-old admitted to his misdemeanors in a dramatic court hearing last week.
The former transport minister had vowed to clear his name after facing 35 charges, including corruption, for receiving gifts in excess of $300,000. These included flights, hotel stays and tickets to musicals and football matches.
But in a surprise twist, Iswaran plead guilty to lesser charges, after the prosecution proceeded with four counts of obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one charge of obstructing justice.
