• D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG
  • D.C.
  • BXL
  • Lagos
Semafor Logo
  • Riyadh
  • Beijing
  • SG


Former Singapore cabinet minister sentenced to year in jail for corruption

Oct 3, 2024, 6:19am EDT
Southeast Asia
Edgar Su/Reuters
PostEmailWhatsapp
Title icon

The News

A Singapore court sentenced a former cabinet minister to 12 months in jail for corruption.

Subramaniam Iswaran’s conviction for accepting more than $300,000 worth of gifts and obstructing the course of justice marks the first time a minister has been convicted of graft in nearly 50 years, underlining the country’s reputation for being largely free of corruption.

In part, that is down to a zero-tolerance attitude: Prosecutors had recommended 6 months in jail for Iswaran, but the court doubled that. It is also down to handsome salaries for senior leaders — some ministers make more than $750,000 a year — which proponents argue dissuades them from accepting gifts or bribes.

AD
AD