Singapore minister Iswaran resigns following corruption charges

Singapore’s Transport Minister, S. Iswaran who was charged with corruption, has resigned. He has been charged with 27 crimes in a graft investigation, according to the anti-corruption agency.

According to the report, it is one of the highest-profile instances involving a minister in the Asian financial powerhouse in decades.

Iswaran, in a resignation letter stated that he refuted the claims and will now focus on clearing his name.

Meanwhile, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said Iswaran, who was arrested in July last year, was alleged to have obtained kickbacks worth S$384,340.98 ($286,181) from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, partly to advance Ong’s business interests.

Iswaran faces a total of 27 charges, including corruption and obstructing the course of justice, the CPIB said in a statement.

If convicted of corruption, he could be fined up to S$100,000 or face seven years in prison.

The property tycoon was also arrested in July as part of the corruption probe. He has not been charged.

The issue has gripped Singapore, a major Asian financial powerhouse known for its spotless administration that is rarely marred by corruption and scandals involving political officials.

According to the report, civil personnel are handsomely rewarded to discourage corruption. Many government ministers’ annual salaries exceed one million Singapore dollars.

Transparency International placed the city-state fifth least corrupt in its 2022 International Corruption Perceptions Index, which included 180 countries.