The scandal has rocked the city-state, known for its zeal for clean governance, with Iswaran having become the first former minister to be sentenced to prison in almost half a century. It has also tested the People’s Action Party, which has ruled Singapore uninterrupted since independence in 1965, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong preparing for a general election that must be held by November 2025.
Singapore charged property tycoon Ong Beng Seng on Friday over the case of ex-minister S Iswaran who was sentenced to jail for obtaining gifts from the businessman.
The 78-year-old Ong didn’t immediately enter a plea in response to the charges of abetment and obstruction of justice, and didn’t respond to questions when he left court. The charges come a day after former transport minister S. Iswaran was handed a 12-month prison term for obtaining valuable items as a public servant and obstruction of justice.
