PHOTO: MCI.
SINGAPORE — Former transport minister S. Iswaran has applied to travel out of Singapore to assist his son in settling into university in Australia. This comes three weeks after he faced 27 charges including corruption, all of which he has pleaded not guilty.
The Straits Times reported on Thursday (8 February) that the prosecution had imposed several conditions on Iswaran’s request, including a cash bail of $500,000.
According to CNA, a judge granted him approval to leave the country for about two weeks, during which the 61-year-old applied for permission to travel to Australia from 16 February to 4 March.
The ex-minister must also provide his itinerary and his address overseas to the investigation officer and remain contactable. He must also surrender his travel documents within 24 hours upon returning to Singapore.
Iswaran, who is currently out on bail amounting to $800,000, appeared at the State Courts around 2.30pm on Thursday to apply for permission to leave the jurisdiction, according to The Straits Times.
His case will also be transferred to the High Court, with the prosecution citing strong public interest. A criminal case disclosure conference for the case is also scheduled to be held in the High Court on 22 March.
Iswaran faces corruption allegations
Iswaran faces accusations of obtaining items valued at over $200,000 from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who played a significant role in bringing the Formula 1 race to Singapore in 2008. These items include tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix, football matches in Britain, and musicals.
His arrest in July 2023 by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was part of an investigation into a separate matter, which also led to the arrest of Ong.
Iswaran has engaged Senior Counsel Davinder Singh from Davinder Singh Chambers as his legal representation, while Chief Prosecutor Tan Kiat Pheng leads the prosecution. In a statement released after his court appearance on 18 January, Iswaran stated his innocence and expressed his focus to clear his name.
Iswaran was elected as a Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC in 1997, serving in this capacity for the past 26 years. He was promoted to a full ministerial position in the Prime Minister’s Office in 2011. Following his charges last month, he has resigned from both roles as well as from the People’s Action Party.
-Yahoo News Singapore
