Ore Huiying/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Singapore’s now former transport minister S. Iswaran was accompanied by lawyers at the Singapore State Courts on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
CNN
—
Singapore’s Transport Minister S. Iswaran has resigned after being charged with corruption on Thursday, the prime minister’s office said, confirming a historic development for a city state that prides itself on having a squeaky-clean government.
The charges against Iswaran are part of the biggest corruption probe to engulf Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in decades. The scandal, which also ensnared a hotel tycoon best known for bringing the Formula 1 Grand Prix to the city, was one in a series of controversies for the government in the past year that sent shockwaves through the country.
Iswaran is the country’s first sitting minister to be charged with a criminal offense.
He faces 27 charges, including corruption and obstructing justice, Chief Prosecutor Tan Kiat Pheng said in court Thursday, according to a charge sheet seen by CNN.
The former minister, flanked by his legal team at court, pleaded not guilty and had his bail extended.
Iswaran was arrested alongside hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng in July. Ong is also the sole shareholder of the Singapore Grand Prix, organizer of the marquee sporting event.
Corruption probes involving ministers are rare in Singapore, where officials are paid well to discourage graft. The average annual salary of ministers is about 1.1 million Singapore dollars (nearly $834,000), according to the government.
The city has long had a reputation for clean governance and is currently ranked number 5 in the world in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
Singapore’s anti-graft agency, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which reports directly to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has been leading investigations into Iswaran’s case.
In a statement Thursday, Lee said he had accepted the resignation of Iswaran, who had agreed to return his government salary received since the probe was launched last July.
“The Government has dealt with this case rigorously in accordance with the law, and will continue to do so. I am determined to uphold the integrity of the Party and the Government, and our reputation for honesty and incorruptibility,” Lee said in the statement.
CNN has reached out to Iswaran’s legal team for comment.
Lee is the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister and founding father.
The corruption probe into Ong and Iswaran comes at a sensitive time for Lee as he plans to step aside after nearly 20 years leading the country.
“The case has already hurt the PAP government (which) will have to redouble its efforts to rebuild the trust and confidence of Singaporeans,” Eugene Tan, a former nominated member of Singapore’s parliament and an associate law professor at Singapore Management University, told CNN.
“What is in its favor is the government acting resolutely and taking the hit for one of its own allegedly falling far short of the public life standards expected of him.”