In a sudden development, former transport minister S Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September 2024, on the first day of his highly anticipated criminal trial.

The 62-year-old, who had previously expressed his intent to contest the charges to clear his name, admitted to four charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which prohibits public servants from receiving valuable items from individuals involved with them in an official capacity. Iswaran also admitted to a charge of obstructing justice.

In addition to these charges, 30 more charges will be taken into account during sentencing. The charges against Iswaran involve the acceptance of valuable gifts, such as tickets to theatre shows, football matches, the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, whisky, international flights, and hotel stays. The total value of these items exceeds S$400,000.

The hearing commenced at 10 am, with the prosecution presenting a fresh set of charges.

Deputy Attorney-General Tai Wei Shyong informed the court that two charges initially filed under Section 6(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act were being replaced with lesser charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code. Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, representing Iswaran, confirmed that his client would plead guilty following the reduced charges.

Background of the Charges

The case against Iswaran revolves around his interactions with property tycoon Ong Beng Seng and construction firm head Lum Kok Seng, neither of whom has been charged. Two of the charges amended by the prosecution directly concern Ong Beng Seng.

One amended charge, originally laid out in September 2022, accused Iswaran of corruptly receiving various tickets to the 2022 Singapore F1 Grand Prix.

The tickets, valued at over S$145,000, were allegedly obtained as an inducement for advancing Ong’s business interests with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

The second amended charge related to Iswaran accepting a private flight from Singapore to Doha, along with a hotel stay at Four Seasons Doha and a business class return flight, cumulatively valued at approximately S$20,847. This was purportedly to facilitate a contract between Singapore GP Pte Ltd and STB regarding the ABBA Voyage virtual concert in Singapore.

Both charges were later altered to reflect that Iswaran had accepted these items as a public servant rather than as part of a corrupt exchange, shifting the legal basis of the accusations under the Penal Code.

Timeline and Sentencing

The earliest charge against Iswaran dates back to November 2015, when he served as the minister for trade and industry. His involvement in this corruption probe came to light in July 2023, while he was still serving as transport minister and minister-in-charge of trade relations.

He resigned from his government positions and from the People’s Action Party in January 2024 after being formally notified of the criminal charges.

The defence, led by Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, has portrayed Iswaran’s relationship with Ong and Lum as close personal friendships.

According to Mr Singh, Iswaran was unaware that the gifts he received could be perceived as “veiled gratification.”

Despite his guilty plea, Singh maintained that the defence initially pursued several legal strategies, including attempts to consolidate the charges into one trial and demands for complete access to the prosecution’s witness statements. The prosecution, however, resisted these efforts, and while the court allowed a single trial, Iswaran’s legal team was unsuccessful in obtaining all witness documents.

Iswaran now faces the possibility of imprisonment, with a maximum sentence of seven years for the obstruction of justice charge under Section 204A of the Penal Code. For his charges under Section 165, he could face up to two years in prison or be subject to fines.

The trial’s progression has attracted considerable public attention due to Iswaran’s high-profile status and the extensive value of the gifts he received. His guilty plea marks a significant turn in a case that has been under public scrutiny for months.

SINGAPORE: Singaporean long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record in the road mile, finishing with a time of 4 minutes 30 seconds at the Road Mile at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile in London.

The record-breaking performance comes just eight days after Soh set a new national record in the 5km road race in Battersea Park, London.

In a Monday (23 September) Facebook post, Mr Soh shared his excitement at achieving yet another milestone. He expressed his happiness in “capping the off-season with another national mark.”

The previous road mile national record of 4 minutes 32.44 seconds was set by 22-year-old Ethan Yan at the 2023 World Road Running Championships.

Soh, who is 33 years old, took the opportunity to encourage others to continue pursuing their goals.

“Having patiently built a foundation, now the real work begins as I prepare for a winter marathon. ”

According to a statement from Singapore Athletics on Facebook, this achievement marks the shortest race distance in which Soh, a double SEA Games Marathon Gold Medallist, has ever held a National Record.

Soh now looks forward to the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October, where he will race alongside fellow Singaporean Shaun Goh.

Goh, 27, set a new national record in the men’s 10km road race with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne on 22 September, placing 20th out of 188 runners.

His time beat Soh’s previous record by 37 seconds, marking a significant achievement for the young athlete.

Singapore Athletics further highlighted that the road mile record appears to be a family affair, as Soh’s sister, Romaine, currently holds the women’s national record for the event with a time of 5:24.19, also set in Riga last year.

Reflecting on his record-setting performance, Soh drew inspiration from Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes.

“Sir Roger Bannister has always been an idol of mine, not just because he was the first man to break 4 minutes, but how he did it as a medical student at Oxford University. ”

“This drew me to give it a go at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile, racing the traditional distance along the centre of London.”

Reflecting on the grueling nature of middle-distance running, he remarked, “Miles hurt in a much different way than the marathon. While my legs start to go about 2 hours into a marathon, my arms start to fall into lactic acid paralysis 2 minutes into a mile that I’m racing all out. ”