Singapore’s Indian-origin former minister's corruption trial set for Aug-Sept

Under the Ministers' Code of Conduct, ministers are not prevented from accepting gifts from family or personal friends in a 'genuinely personal capacity'. He is alleged to have received gifts worth more than SGD 400,000 (USD 2,94,875) from his close friends.

Singapore: Singapore’s Indian-origin former minister S Iswaran on Wednesday succeeded in his application to have all charges against him, involving allegedly receiving more than SGD 400,000 worth of gifts, heard in the High Court.

The court on Wednesday set trial dates for August and September 2024 after Iswaran argued that both sets of charges be heard together because they share similar features, The Straits Times newspaper reported.

His lawyer Davinder Singh in his argument before Justice Vincent Hoong said: “My client is saying, come at me with both sets please, I am ready to take you on.”

On his client's state of mind during the alleged offences, Singh pointed out that Iswaran had been aware of the Ministers' Code of Conduct.

Under the code, ministers are not prevented from accepting gifts from family or personal friends in a 'genuinely personal capacity'. He is alleged to have received gifts worth more than SGD 400,000 ($2,94,875) from his close friends.

Iswaran did not know or suspect that gifts from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng and construction firm boss Lum Kok Seng were 'veiled gratification', his lawyer said.

"He was dealing with very, very dear and close friends," said Singh during the court hearing to argue for a joint trial of all his charges.

"His state of mind at that time was that not only was he dealing with close friends, he had no idea at all that there was any ... he had no knowledge or suspicion that the gifts were offered as veiled gratification."

Iswaran, 61, was first handed 27 charges on January 18 and given another eight charges on March 25.

The first set of charges comprises 24 counts of obtaining valuables as a public servant, two of corruption and one of obstructing justice.

These include corruptly receiving more than SGD166,000 ($122,418) worth of flights, hotel stays and tickets to events in exchange for advancing business interests of Ong.

In the second set of charges, Iswaran is accused of obtaining valuables worth nearly SGD 19,000 ($14,011) from Lum Kok Seng, the managing director of Singapore-listed Lum Chang Holdings.

Iswaran, who has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, had his bail extended on the current terms and conditions.

He will return to court on May 14 for a criminal case disclosure conference, the report said.