Current:Home > MySingaporean minister charged for corruption, as police say he took tickets to F1 races as bribes -ProfitClass
Singaporean minister charged for corruption, as police say he took tickets to F1 races as bribes
View
Date:2025-04-19 19:46:59
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singaporean Transport Minister S. Iswaran was charged Thursday in the first ministerial corruption case ever seen in the Asian financial hub known for squeaky clean government.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau said in a statement that Iswaran, 61, faces 27 charges: two for corruption, 24 for receiving gifts as a public servant, and one for obstructing the course of justice. Iswaran said after leaving court that he had resigned from his post on Tuesday, and denied the charges.
He was alleged to have obtained gratification in kind worth nearly SG$385,000 ($286,000) between 2015 and 2022 from Malaysian property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, in part to help the Singapore-based businessman advance his business interests.
The gifts included free tickets for Singapore’s Formula 1 Grand Prix, as well as football matches and musicals in the U.K. Ong owns the right to the local F1 race, and Iswaran was chairman of and later advisor to the Grand Prix’s steering committee.
“I reject the charges and the allegations against me. I am innocent and will now focus on clearing my name,” Iswaran said in a statement.
Iswaran, a senior politician in the long-ruling People’s Action Party, was first arrested last July with Ong, who has not been charged. Both were released on bail and details were not revealed at the time. Iswaran was put on leave with a reduced salary pending the probe.
The indictment is an embarrassment to the long-ruling People’s Action Party, which prides itself on a clean image. Another cabinet minister was investigated for graft in 1986, but died before charges were filed.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Iswaran’s case has been dealt with vigorously according to the law. He said he accepted Iswaran’s resignation from the government and from the PAP, which has governed Singapore since it became independent following separation from Malaysia in 1965.
“I am determined to uphold the integrity of the party and the government, and our reputation for honesty and incorruptibility,” Lee said in a statement.
veryGood! (95619)
Related
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Atlanta's police chief fires officer involved in church deacon Johnny Hollman Sr.'s death
- 'Madonna: A Rebel Life' biography celebrates the impact of a pop icon: 'This is who I am'
- Disney ups price of some tickets to enter Disneyland and Walt Disney World
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been separated since 2016, she says
- Confrontation led to fatal shooting at private party at Pennsylvania community center, police say
- Republicans nominate Steve Scalise to be House speaker and will try to unite before a floor vote
- 'Stranger Things' prequel 'The First Shadow' is headed to Broadway
- ACT test scores for US students drop to new 30-year low
Ranking
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Get That Vitamix Blender You've Wanted on Amazon October Prime Day 2023
- Man who found bag of cash, claimed finders-keepers, pays back town, criminal charge dropped
- Get That Vitamix Blender You've Wanted on Amazon October Prime Day 2023
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ready to campaign for Harris-Walz after losing out for spot on the ticket
- 2023 Fat Bear Week has crowned its winner – a queen that's thicker than a bowl of oatmeal
- Gunmen kill a member of an anti-India group and a worshipper at a mosque in eastern Pakistan
- The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is coming -- but it won’t be as big as this year’s
Recommendation
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
Morgan State University plans to build wall around campus after homecoming week shooting
'The Voice': John Legend nabs 'magical' R&B crooner, irritates Gwen Stefani
Tom Brady Reveals How His Kids Would React If He Unretired Again
'Most Whopper
A company cancels its plans to recover more Titanic artifacts. Its renowned expert died on the Titan
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is coming -- but it won’t be as big as this year’s
Pilot confusion preceded fatal mid-air collision at Reno Air Races, NTSB says