SINGAPORE, Sept 24 — Singapore’s former transport minister S. Iswaran today pled guilty to four counts of obtaining valuable items and one count of obstructing the course of justice on the first day of a rare corruption trial in the republic that was expected to continue into 2025.

The 62-year-old, a member of the Singapore Cabinet from July 2006 to January this year, rejected the charges and maintained his innocence when he was initially charged on January 18, The Straits Times reported.

"Your honour, I plead guilty,”Iswaran was quoted as saying in court after Deputy Attorney-General Tai Wei Shyong announced that the prosecution is filing amended charges.

Iswaran admitted to four counts of obtaining valuable items as a public servant, under Section 165 of the Penal Code; and one count of obstructing the course of justice, under Section 204A(a) of the Penal Code.

The kickbacks were received while he was still in office in 2022 and included Formula 1 Grand Prix tickets, overseas travel on private jets, and luxe hotel accommodation while abroad from Singapore magnate and the car race promoter Ong Beng Seng, and a Brompton T Line bicycle worth more than S$7,000 from David Lum Kok Seng, another Singapore tycoon behind listed construction company Lum Chang Holdings.

Iswaran is still on trial for 30 other charges.

Judge Vincent Hoong convicted Iswaran after he entered the guilty plea but did not pronounce any sentence today, pending trial for the remaining charges.

For accepting the kickbacks, Iswaran could be punished with up to two years in jail and a fine for each count, while he faces a maximum seven years imprisonment and another fine for the obstruction of justice charge.

The prosecution only asked the court to punish Iswaran with between a total of six and seven months in jail and a fine.

But Tai said at least two of the sentences must run consecutively.

The defence pushed for only eight weeks’ imprisonment, saying Iswaran had paid his financial gains of S$380,305.95 in full to the state and will forfeit the items he received.

The last Singaporean minister accused of corruption was reportedly Teh Cheang Wan in 1986 when he headed the national development ministry, but who died by suicide before he was charged in court.