AFTER multiple delays, the graft trial of former Singapore transport minister S Iswaran begins on Tuesday (Sep 24) in the High Court.
The 62-year-old is accused of obtaining more than S$403,000 worth of items during his time as a public servant, and faces two other counts of corruption and one of obstruction of justice. He maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Iswaran is the first political office holder to be charged with corruption since the late Wee Toon Boon in 1975. Wee, then minister of state for environment, was sentenced to 18 months of jail, for a case involving more than S$800,000.
Iswaran is defended by a team of lawyers led by Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, who has acted for former prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong in civil lawsuits.
Who is involved?
Iswaran’s trial centres on his interactions with two individuals in his official capacity: as Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), then Minister for Communications and Information, then Minister for Transport.
The first is Malaysian billionaire Ong Beng Seng, co-founder and managing director of mainboard-listed real estate group Hotel Properties Limited, which owns and operates luxury hotels, resorts and shopping galleries in 17 countries.
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Ong is credited with bringing the Formula 1 Grand Prix to Singapore in 2008. He owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix and is chairman of race promoter Singapore GP.
The second is David Lum, director of mainboard-listed Lum Chang Holdings. Lum Chang is the parent company of construction firm Lum Chang Building Contractors, which has worked on multiple government projects.
At least 56 witnesses are expected to testify at the trial, including Iswaran’s wife Kay Mary Taylor and Iswaran’s then-personal