More than a year after his arrest by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in July 2023, former transport minister S. Iswaran will go to court on Sept 24 to defend himself against 35 criminal charges.
The first tranche of the High Court trial will be held until Sept 27. Further trial dates have been set in November and from January to March 2025.
Iswaran, 62, is the first political office-holder in nearly five decades to be tried in court.
Prosecutors have accused him of obtaining items worth more than $400,000 from Mr Ong Beng Seng, billionaire hotelier and chairman of Formula One (F1) race promoter Singapore GP, as well as Mr David Lum, managing director of main-board-listed construction company Lum Chang Holdings.
The items include tickets to F1 races, football matches and musical shows allegedly obtained from Mr Ong, and bottles of whisky, golf clubs and a Brompton bicycle allegedly obtained from Mr Lum.
Lawyers for the former minister described Mr Ong and Mr Lum as Iswaran's close friends and said the items were gifts.
The majority of the charges Iswaran is facing come under a rarely used provision that has been part of Singapore's criminal legislation since 1871.
Section 165 of the Penal Code makes it an offence for a public servant to accept or obtain anything of value, for free or for inadequate payment, from any person with whom he is involved in an official capacity.
However, Iswaran's lawyer, Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, said the code of conduct for ministers states that ministers and their family members are not prevented from accepting gifts from family or personal friends "in a genuinely personal capacity".
"His state of mind at that time was that not only was he dealing with close friends, he had... no knowledge or suspicion that the gifts were offered as veiled gratification," added Mr Singh.
Mr Ong and Mr Lum have not been charged with any offence.
This story is from the September 22, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 22, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BLACK DAY FOR BRITISH PUBS
At her London pub, landlady Kate Davidson has taken to issuing Guinness ration cards, but the beer still ran out amid a British shortage of Ireland's national drink.
Her Last Gifts
It was exhausting, he sighed. But Carol insisted; her name being what it was and his, she said with a big grin, being Chris. Remember, this is the blessed spirit of the season, to give as we have been given.
When You Think About Me
She empties the last drawer and, between stray baubles, there's the cookie tin, the one hunted down from some narrow shop in Liverpool because it didn't ship here.
Gift Of The Magi
Let's say you never intended to use Magi. Let's say you know about all the scandals: the accusations of stolen data, the EU lawsuits, the CEO's abhorrent behaviour. Let's say you don't even believe the outlandish social media claims that the app is magical, like actual magic. You know it's not possible it reads your mind, plumbs your soul, knows your heart's desires. You're not so gullible.
Ho Ren Yung: Steering global brand evolution of Banyan Group
Ms Ho Ren Yung, deputy chief executive of Banyan Group, oversaw the company's brand relaunch in a bumper year of 19 openings in 2024. These included Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto in Japan and Angsana Tengchong in China.
Jury-rigged Hotpot
The Japan Home folding table was just big enough to accommodate two.
Tales of love, peace and hope
The Sunday Times invites five authors to pen short stories around the theme of A Christmas Gift
Japan: Taking centre stage in Singapore and beyond
Scroll through your social media feed this holiday season, and practically everyone you know is in Japan or making plans to vacation there.
UOB: Most influential patron in Singapore art scene
UOB's \"day job\" is handling loans, deposits and a wealth of diverse portfolios. But the bank cemented its role as the most influential patron in the Singapore art scene in 2024, investing good chunks of cash in both arts and arts education.
Fong Chi Chung: Putien restaurants make dining out more affordable
In a year where diners made themselves scarce - preferring to spend their strong Singapore dollars overseas, and leading restaurant owners and chefs to despair over empty dining rooms - this power lister made a power move that others in the industry are watching closely.
