In a surprise decision, former Transport Minister S. Iswaran was handed a one-year jail sentence on Oct 3. This exceeded the requests of both prosecution and defence, which Justice Vincent Hoong described as “manifestly inadequate.” Deputy Attorney-General (DAG) Tai Wei...
In a surprise decision, former Transport Minister S. Iswaran was handed a one-year jail sentence on Oct 3. This exceeded the requests of both prosecution and defence, which Justice Vincent Hoong described as “manifestly inadequate.”
“I agree with the prosecution that the higher the office held by the offender as a public servant, the higher his level of culpability,” said Justice Hoong in his judgment.“Such persons set the tone of public servants in conducting themselves in accordance with high standards of integrity, and must be expected to avoid any perception that they are susceptible to influence to pecuniary benefits,” he said.
Justice Hoong said that the awareness of the giver’s motive is relevant to sentencing, especially when the public servant knows the giver is motivated by a desire to cultivate goodwill or loyalty. Iswaran had taken urgent personal leave for the trip to Doha with businessman Ong Beng Seng, allowing him to enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip with only four days’ prior notice, Justice Hoong said.
By asking to be billed and paying for the ticket, he was attempting to avoid investigations into the gifts, he added. Justice Hoong said in his sentencing: “The accused had simultaneously made public statements rejecting the allegations in the charges as false and asserting his innocence.”
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