Singapore ex-minister Iswaran pleads guilty to taking gifts, corruption charges set aside

The courtroom drama unfolded swiftly on Tuesday, with prosecutors amending his initial 35 charges to just four related to gift acceptance and one for obstructing justice within minutes of the trial beginning.

Iswaran, 62, arrived at the courthouse at around 9.40am dressed in a suit, facing a reduced slate of charges that now excludes two serious counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which could have led to a seven-year prison sentence or hefty fines.

His lawyer, Davinder Singh, one of Singapore’s top litigators, indicated that Iswaran had pursued this specific approach given the prosecution’s shift in focus.

“My client will be taking a certain course of action in view of the fact that the prosecution is no longer proceeding on charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” Singh said.