Iswaran forfeits items seized during investigation & pays back over S$380,000 to the state
Other items given to Iswaran were also seized.
By
Hannah Martens
September 24, 2024, 01:01 PM
Former transport minister S Iswaran pleaded guilty to five charges in court on Tuesday (Sep. 24).
The court also heard that Iswaran has made a disgorgement to the state.
Deputy Attorney-General Tai Wei Shyong told the court the total amount was S$380,305.95.
Other items given to Iswaran, which were seized during the investigations, have also been forfeited to the state.
"This entire case concerns things that [Iswaran] obtained from two local businessmen during his tenure. The total value of the gifts amounted to S$403,297, which is a significant amount," said Tai.
Tai added that when Iswaran obtained these gifts, he was holding portfolios in which he had official dealings with the businessmen, Ong Beng Seng and Lum Kok Seng.
Tai said Iswaran was aware that Ong and Lum were directly involved in ongoing business connected with Iswaran's official functions.
At the time of the charges involving Ong, Iswaran was the minister responsible for overseeing the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix as a national project, and was also chairman of the F1 steering committee, Tai told the court.
He added that Iswaran obtained gifts from Ong while negotiating about Formula 1.
As for Lum, he was involved in business transactions with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and Tai pointed out Iswaran's link to the matter due to his appointment as transport minister at the time.
A breakdown
From November 2015 to September 2022, Iswaran obtained numerous tickets to football matches, Grand Prix F1, and theatre shows from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng.
In addition, Iswaran received items given to him by Lum Kok Seng, the managing director of Lum Chan Holdings.
From 2012 to 2022, Iswaran received 22 bottles of alcohol from Lum, which he did not declare to the government despite Lum's business transactions with LTA.
This included four bottles of whiskey worth over S$1,000.
He also received golf clubs, and was gifted a Brompton bicycle as a 60th birthday present by Lum.
Top photos via Mothership
