Singapore ex-minister Iswaran convicted, prosecution asks for 6 to 7 months’ jail

Singapore’s former transport minister S Iswaran was convicted on Tuesday of obtaining gifts and obstructing justice while in office, pleading guilty to lesser charges as more serious corruption allegations were set aside. The landmark trial marks the first time in 50 years that a former government minister has faced such scrutiny.

The courtroom drama unfolded swiftly, with prosecutors narrowing down 35 initial charges to just five, focusing on gift acceptance and obstruction of justice. As a result, Iswaran is likely to receive a shorter sentence.

The prosecution, which initially called 56 witnesses, recommended six to seven months in prison, while Iswaran’s legal team argued for just eight weeks.

Davinder Singh, Iswaran’s lawyer and one of Singapore’s top litigators, argued that the gifts in question – valued at around S$400,000 (US$308,800) – had resulted in “little or no harm” and were exchanged in the context of “friendship”.

The case has drawn significant attention in Singapore, which prides itself on a strict zero-tolerance approach to corruption. Ministers in the city state are well paid and the country consistently ranks high on global anti-corruption indices.