Singapore Transportation Minister Resigns After Being Charged in Corruption
- Dok S Iswaran
Singapore – Singapore's Transportation Minister S Iswaran resigned after being charged with corruption in the biggest political scandal in almost four decades, which has cast a pall on the city-state known for clean governance.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong accepted Iswaran’s resignation as a cabinet minister and lawmaker, according to a statement from Lee’s office.
Iswaran, who’s out on bail, rejected the 27 charges against him, including allegedly obtaining tickets to musicals and soccer matches in the United Kingdom (UK).
Iswaran, 61, is the first key minister to get embroiled in a graft probe since 1986 when then-Minister for National Development Teh Cheang Wan was investigated for accepting bribes. Teh denied receiving the money and died before he could be formally charged.
Menteri Perhubungan Singapura S Iswaran
- Dok S Iswaran
Iswaran, 61, is the first key minister to get embroiled in a graft probe since 1986. He and property tycoon Ong Beng Seng were arrested in July in a case that’s challenged Singapore’s reputation for clean governance at a time when Lee is seeking to step aside after almost two decades of leading the country.
“I reject the allegations in the charges and will now focus on clearing my name,” Iswaran wrote in his resignation letter to Lee that was made public after the charges were announced, as reported from the Time site.
The former politician was slapped with an array of charges that spanned from 2015 to May 2023. They included two counts of corruption, 24 counts of obtaining “valuable things” from someone he had business dealings with as a public servant, and one for obstructing justice. If convicted, he faces fines and a possible jail term.
