Former Singaporean Minister, Subramaniam Iswaran, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Thursday for obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gifts, marking the city-state’s first political graft trial in nearly half a century.
The ex-transport minister, known for helping bring Formula One to the financial hub, was hit this year with 35 charges mostly related to graft in a nation often cited as one of the world’s least corrupt.
Iswaran’s sentence was more severe than the six to seven months requested by the prosecution, which High Court Justice Vincent Hoong said would have been “manifestly inadequate” given the impact of the case on public trust.
“Trust and confidence in public institutions are the bedrock of effective governance, which can all too easily be undermined by the appearance that an individual public servant has fallen below the standards of integrity and accountability,” Hoong said while sentencing him.
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Iswaran was convicted last week of obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gifts after prosecutors moved forward with five lesser charges only, including some related to a billionaire property tycoon.
His defence team asked for Iswaran’s jail term to commence on October 7, local media reported.
The court then asked the 62-year-old to surrender himself at 4 pm (0800 GMT) at the States Court.
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