SINGAPORE (ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES) – Former transport minister S Iswaran was handed eight new charges in court on Monday.
The charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, are offences when public servants accept gifts from someone involved with them in an official capacity.
District Judge Brenda Tan recorded pleas of not guilty on the additional charges from Iswaran – who now faces 35 charges in total.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement Monday that Iswaran had allegedly obtained, as a public servant, valuables with a total value of about SGD18,956.94 from a person identified as Lum Kok Seng.
Iswaran had allegedly known him to be involved in business that had a connection with his official function as Minister for Transport.
These alleged offences were committed between November 2021 and November 2022.
According to charge sheets, the items include bottles of alcohol, golf clubs and a Brompton bicycle that cost SGD7,907.50.
The business transacted involved a contract between Lum Chang Building Contractors and the Land Transport Authority, for addition and alteration works to Tanah Merah Station and existing viaducts.
The website of Lum Chang, a property management, interior design and construction firm, lists a Lum Kok Seng as its managing director.
The firm’s construction arm, Lum Chang Building Contractors, has taken on multi-billion dollar civil, building and infrastructural projects in Singapore including being the main contractor for Bukit Panjang station along the Downtown Line.
Iswaran arrived in court on March 25 at about 8.20am with members from his legal team from Davinder Singh Chambers.
Chief Prosecutor Tan Kiat Pheng told the court that the purpose of Monday’s hearing was to tender eight additional charges against Iswaran and transmit the new charges to the High Court.
Navin Shanmugaraj Thevar, one of Iswaran’s lawyers, questioned why the new charges were tendered only now, and if the prosecution intends to file more charges against his client.
Navin said the prosecution recorded 36 cautioned statements from Iswaran in January 2024 but only handed the former minister 27 charges at his first court hearing on January 18.
“The eight new charges today were not part of the 36 (cautioned statements),” the defence lawyer added. A cautioned statement sets out a notice for an accused person to provide their defence in response to an offence he is being charged with.
Navin added that the eight new charges relate to matters that the CPIB had questioned Iswaran over in July and August 2023.
He said: “On March 16, three days before the criminal case disclosure conference (CCDC) at the High Court, CPIB called my client in and he was served eight new charges.
During a CCDC, the prosecution and defence disclose information about the case to facilitate the trial process.
“When Mr Iswaran asked CPIB when the charges would be brought in court, he was told a decision had not been made.”
Chief Prosecutor Tan said in response that all charges tendered against Iswaran are based on evidence uncovered by CPIB and they have been reviewed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers. He added that the State Courts is not the right forum for such issues and urged the defence to raise them in the High Court instead.
