Public Prosecutor v S Iswaran

On 11 July 2024, the Singapore People's Action Party's then parliamentary representative S. Iswaran was arrested and charged by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) for "obtaining valuable items as a public servant under Section 165 of the Penal Code".

S. Iswaran, main convicted criminal in the case.

Background

S. Iswaran and Ong Beng Seng

Between 2015 and 2022, Iswaran received gratification from Ong Beng Seng, a Singapore-based Malaysian businessman, in exchange for advancing Ong's business interests in a facilitation agreement between Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board, and in a proposal for a contract with the tourism board to establish the ABBA Voyage virtual concert – by pop group ABBA – in Singapore.

He received:

• 40 tickets to 13 plays or musicals in the UK between 2015 and 2021 (worth around SGD $10,693)
• 16 tickets to football matches (worth around SGD $5,646)
• 36 Green Room tickets, 5 Boardwalk tickets, 14 Twenty3 tickets and 61 general admission tickets to the different editions of Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix between 2016 and 2022 (worth SGD $347,152 in total)
• taken a flight on Ong's private plane from Singapore to Doha, Qatar's capital city (worth SGD $10,410.40)
• one night's stay in Four Seasons Doha (worth SGD $4,737.63), and a business class flight from Doha to Singapore (worth SGD $5,700). Both were through Ong's company, Singapore GP.