Ex-minister Iswaran pleads guilty in graft case that has gripped Singapore

24/9/2024 12:19

        Singapore's former Transport Minister S. Iswaran has pleaded guilty to receiving gifts while in office, local media reported, as proceedings began on Tuesday in a rare graft trial involving a state official in this Asian financial hub.
        
        The case has gripped the wealthy city-state which prides itself on having a well-paid and efficient bureaucracy as well as strong governance. Iswaran, who joined the cabinet in 2006, is the first Singaporean minister to be tried in court.
        
        The 62-year-old was arrested in July last year and was accused of taking kickbacks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, partly to advance Ong's business interests. Ong has not been charged with any offence.
        
        Iswaran had previously rejected the allegations when he resigned from the cabinet.