Singapore - January 2024

On 18 January, Singapore’s Transport Minister S. Iswaran resigned as a minister and member of the People’s Action Party (PAP) after being charged with 27 offences related to corruption, obstruction of justice and taking bribes. The charges follow a year-long investigation led by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which alleged that Iswaran received bribes worth more than hundreds of thousands of dollars from billionaire property tycoon Ong Beng Seng – who is also under investigation. Iswaran is the first sitting minister in Singapore to be charged with corruption in decades, as the country is rarely affected by graft scandals involving political leaders. Iswaran rejects the allegations and maintains his innocence amid the ongoing case.

Sources: The Straits Times (1), CNN, Channel News Asia, New York Times, The Straits Time2 (2), CPIB