SINGAPORE's former transport minister S Iswaran has pleaded guilty to bribery charges after the prosecution amended the indictment against him, a surprising twist to the biggest political scandal in nearly four decades.
Iswaran’s lawyer Senior Counsel Davinder Singh said: “My client will be taking a certain course of action, since the prosecution is no longer proceeding with charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.”
According to reports, the 62-year-old rejected the charges and maintained his innocence when he was initially charged on January 18.
“I plead guilty,” Iswaran was quoted as saying in the High Court after Deputy Attorney-General Tai Wei Shyong announced that the prosecution will be tabling a fresh set of charges.
At about 10.05 am, the court was adjourned for several minutes for the amended charges to be read to Iswaran before a plea is taken.
The prosecution proceeded with four charges against him for obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one count of obstructing justice, while 30 other charges were taken into consideration.
Iswaran was initially charged with 35 counts including corruption. He was alleged to have obtained more than S$403,000 in luxury goods, including tickets to musicals and soccer matches in the UK.
In a statement after he was first charged on Jan 18, Iswaran had said: “I am innocent and will now focus on clearing my name.” - September 24, 2024
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