SINGAPORE, Oct 3 — A Singapore court today sentenced a former minister to 12 months in prison for obstructing justice and receiving more than US$300,000 (RM1.26 million) worth of gifts, in the first jailing of an ex-cabinet member in a city-state famous for its clean governance.

S. Iswaran, who was a cabinet member for 13 years and has held the trade, communications and transport portfolios, pleaded guilty last week to four counts of improperly receiving gifts and one of obstructing justice.

The sentence handed down was more severe than the six to seven months sought by the prosecution, which presiding judge Vincent Hoong said was "manifestly inadequate” given the gravity of Iswaran’s offences and their impact on public trust.

"Trust and confidence in public institutions were the bedrock of effective governance, which could all too easily be undermined by the appearance that an individual public servant had fallen below the standards of integrity and accountability,” he said in sentencing Iswaran.

The case has shocked Singapore, which prides itself on having a well-paid and efficient bureaucracy as well as strong and squeaky-clean governance. It was among the world’s top five least corrupt countries last year, according to Transparency International’s corruption perception index.

The last corruption case involving a Singaporean minister was in 1986, when its national development minister was investigated for alleged bribery but died before any charges were filed in court.

Expensive gifts

The investigation caused a stir in the Asian financial hub and centred on allegations Iswaran while transport minister accepted expensive gifts from businessmen that included tickets to English Premier League soccer matches, the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, London musicals and a ride on a private jet.

The value of those totalled more than S$400,000, according to the prosecution.

Iswaran, 62, faced a huge media scrum as he arrived in court and declined to answer questions. He showed no emotion during the court session.

The judge allowed him to remain on bail for the next few days and begin his jail term on Monday.

Iswaran had initially said he was innocent and would fight to clear his name but pleaded guilty last week to the five charges put before the court.

The former minister faced a total of 35 charges, two of which were corruption-related but were later amended to charges of receiving gifts while a public servant.

The attorney general’s chambers last week said they made amendments because of litigation risks involved in proving the corruption charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Iswaran was arrested in July last year and was accused of taking kickbacks from businessmen including property tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Iswaran was an adviser to the Singapore Grand Prix’s steering committee, while Ong owns the rights to the race.

Ong has not been charged with any offence and has issued no public comment on the allegations. The attorney general’s chambers last week said it would decide whether to take action against Ong soon.

Judge Hoong in his ruling said there was a higher level of culpability when a public servant holds high office that wield greater influence over business transactions. — Reuters