FORMER Singapore Transport Minister S. Iswaran announced today that he would not be appealing his 12-month prison sentence, following his conviction on five charges.
“I will not be appealing the sentence handed down by the court," he said in a Facebook posting.
“I accept that, as a Minister, my actions under Section 165 were wrong. I take full responsibility and extend my apologies to all Singaporeans.”
Iswaran is the first former Singapore minister to be jailed in almost 50 years.
Iswaran resigned as transport minister after less than three years in the job after he was charged in January.
Justice Vincent Hoong last week sentenced him to almost twice the seven months sought by prosecutors, and six times the term sought by the defence.
After the sentencing last Thursday, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a statement that he was “disappointed and saddened”.
Iswaran added that his family’s well-being and the emotional toll on his loved ones of a long trial extending well into 2025, and possibly beyond, weighed heavily on him.
“The past 15 months have already been the most difficult. With this decision, I hope that we can put the pain and anguish behind us, move forward and rebuild our lives together,” he added.
Iswaran was sentenced to jail after he pleaded guilty to five charges.
They comprise four charges for obtaining valuable items as a public servant from Ong Beng Seng, chairman of Formula One (F1) race promoter Singapore GP, and David Lum, managing director of construction company Lum Chang Holdings.
The fifth charge was for obstructing the course of justice by making a payment of $5,700 for a business-class flight he had taken from Doha to Singapore in 2022 at Ong’s expense.
Iswaran made the payment to throw off the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which had found his name in a flight manifest they seized while investigating Ong’s associates.
Last Friday, Singapore prosecutors charged property tycoon Ong in connection with the Iswaran case.
The 78-year-old Ong didn’t immediately enter a plea in response to the charges of abetment and obstruction of justice, with a spokesperson saying the tycoon is “seeking legal advice on the charges”.
Iswaran is due to surrender at the State Courts at 4 pm today to begin his jail term. - October 7, 2024
