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Singapore’s Transport Minister S. Iswaran has resigned after being charged with 27 offenses in a corruption probe, the country’s anti-corruption agency announced on Thursday. It’s a rare political scandal in a city-state known for its squeaky-clean image.
A government minister is accused of accepting bribes worth around $286,000 from a Malaysian real estate tycoon based in Singapore, including a ride on a private jet, tickets to the musical “Hamilton” and a soccer match in England. There is.
Mr Iswaran is accused of accepting bribes in return for helping to advance the business interests of Ong Ben Sen, the billionaire who brought Formula 1 racing to Singapore. The two were first arrested in July last year.
Iswaran, who is currently out on bail, pleaded not guilty on Thursday. In a resignation letter released by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s office, the minister denied the allegations and said he would focus on clearing his name.
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Singapore’s biggest corruption scandal in nearly 40 years could tarnish its clean reputation
Such high-level corruption investigations are rare for the Southeast Asian country, which has a reputation for clean governance. To reduce the temptation to take bribes, Singapore pays its ministers an average of more than $800,000 a year, making them among the highest paid in the world, according to CNN. The last time the city-state faced a similar scandal was in 1986, when Te Chang Wan, then Minister of National Development, received $746,000 from two private companies seeking to buy state-owned land for development. He was investigated on suspicion of receiving bribes. Mr Teh denied the charges, but he died before he could be formally charged. A Singapore-based law professor told Bloomberg that the current legal battle has broader implications. He added: “There is now a political fight to renew confidence and confidence in voters that the government has the right institutions.”
Other scandals are also damaging the ruling party’s reputation ahead of next year’s elections
The investigation is the latest incident to shake the reputation of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) ahead of next year’s elections. In July last year, the speaker of Singapore’s parliament resigned from the state parliament along with another member, citing an affair. The remarks came after two other ministers rented state-run luxury bungalows, sparking a public outcry over income inequality and ministerial privileges amid rising costs of living. The ministers were later cleared of wrongdoing. The New York Times reported that the PAP’s popularity has declined in recent elections amid criticism of its “decades of one-party dominance.” Prime Minister Lee is expected to step down at the end of the year and hand over power to his deputy, but voters will have a say in the party’s performance in next year’s vote.