Singapore’s ex-transport minister, Subramanian Iswaran, has been convicted of receiving gifts while in office. He was initially charged with corruption but pleaded guilty after the prosecutors amended the severe corruption charges.

Iswaran was arrested last year and pleaded not guilty to 27 charges of corruption, including “obtaining gratification as a public servant”. He had also returned his salary and MP allowance that he received since the start of investigations into the charges in July 2023.

After pleading guilty, Iswaran now faces a fine or a prison sentence of up to 2 years for each charge of receiving gifts. Charge sheets revealed that he was gifted more than S$403,000 (US$311,882; GB£234,586) worth of flights, hotel stays, musicals and F1 Grand Prix tickets.

Business and property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was named in the charges as the party which allegedly offered the bribes and gifts. Ong was also arrested in corruption but was not charged with any offence. However, he was scheduled to take the stand as a witness against Iswaran.

Ong and Iswaran were recognized to be pivotal in bringing Formula 1 races to Singapore in 2008. Ong owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix, while Iswaran was the advisor to the race’s steering committee.

A corruption case on a government official is quite a rare instance in Singapore, with the last major corruption probe being against the National Development Minister Teh Chaeng Wan in 1986. However, the last conviction in a corruption case was in 1975 against former minister of state for environment, Wee Toon Boon. He was sentenced to 18-months in prison for a corruption case involving approx. US$800,000.

The country prides itself on being Asia’s financial hub with a reputation for squeaky-clean governance. Its political leaders are also the best-paid in the world, with the highest government salaries aimed at curbing corruption in the office. However, Iswaran’s arrest and conviction along with the resignation of two Singaporean lawmakers due to an extramarital affair are part of a string of recent cases that have damaged the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) reputation. Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong had earlier released a statement following Iswaran and Ong’s arrest, saying that the Singaporean government will work “doubly hard” to earn back the people’s trust.

Iswaran is a seasoned member of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and has served as a director in numerous prominent companies over his career. During his time in government, Iswaran managed several portfolios within the Prime Minister’s office, including home affairs, communications, and most recently, the transport ministry.

However, he became particularly well-known during his extended tenure in the trade and industry ministry, where he played a significant role in shaping Singapore’s tourism sector in the late 2000s and 2010s. This includes bringing the Singapore Grand Prix into FIA’s Formula 1 championship calendar every year. The inaugural Grand Prix, which took place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, was the first-ever Formula 1 race held at night and also the first F1 street race in Asia. It was won by Fernando Alonso, who was driving for the Renault F1 team at the time.

During this period, the government invested heavily and attracted billions in foreign investment to develop casinos, hotels, tourist attractions, and events such as the F1 race.