Latest news with #HomeDetention
Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Times
Ong Beng Seng gets S$30,000 fine, no jail term in case involving ex-minister Iswaran
[SINGAPORE] Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was spared jail time on Friday (Aug 15) as the court showed judicial mercy , and was instead fined S$30,000 for dealings with ex-transport minister S Iswaran, who had been convicted of accepting gifts as a public servant. Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng agreed with the prosecution and the defence that judicial mercy should be extended, saying 'the clear and undisputed medical evidence' establishes that a prison sentence would carry a high risk to Ong's life. She added that if Ong did not have that medical condition, an appropriate sentence would be three months' jail. Courts exercise judicial mercy by imposing lenient sentences in exceptional circumstances, such as when the accused has serious medical conditions or when imprisonment would endanger their life. Ong suffers from multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer that has compromised his immune system and made him vulnerable to life-threatening infections. His lawyers had argued that a jail term would thus put his life at great risk. The prosecution accepted this and did not object to Ong receiving the maximum fine of S$30,000, instead of the custodial sentence of eight weeks' jail that would ordinarily have been appropriate. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The offence of abetting the obstruction of justice carries up to seven years' jail, a fine, or both, with S$30,000 being the maximum fine that the district court can impose under the Criminal Procedure Code. From graft probe to sentencing Ong's sentencing concludes the legal saga of Ong and Iswaran's dealings, during which Iswaran was convicted for accepting gifts while serving as transport minister. The former minister was first investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in 2023. Though he initially claimed trial, he later pleaded guilty on Sep 24, 2024, to four charges of accepting gifts as a public servant and one charge of obstruction of justice. Iswaran received 12 weeks' jail for his offences – a heavier sentence than what the prosecution had asked for. He began his sentence that October and was later placed on the Home Detention Scheme on Feb 7. Ong's involvement stemmed from his role in bringing the Formula 1 race to Singapore. Iswaran had been minister-in-charge of trade relations and was the government's chief negotiator with the Singapore GP on F1-related business matters. In December 2022, Ong invited Iswaran to Qatar, and they flew to Doha on Ong's private jet. Iswaran then returned to Singapore on a business-class flight. The flight to Doha was worth US$7,700, and the return flight was worth S$5,700. Ong also made arrangements for a one-night stay at Four Seasons Hotel Doha, valued at S$4,737.63. In May 2023, when CPIB seized the flight manifest for the Doha trip during a separate investigation, Ong informed Iswaran by phone. The next day, Iswaran asked Ong to have Singapore GP bill him for the trip expenses. Ong agreed – an act that constituted obstructing justice.
CNA
06-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Former Transport Minister S Iswaran no longer under prison custody
SINGAPORE: Former Transport Minister S Iswaran is no longer under the custody of the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the agency told CNA. It said on Friday (Jun 6) that Mr Iswaran had completed his emplacement on the Home Detention Scheme. SPS did not specify when Mr Iswaran completed his emplacement or when he will conclude his 12-month sentence. Factoring in a remission period, which is available to inmates who have served two-thirds of their sentence, Mr Iswaran could have been released on remission from Friday. Mr Iswaran was placed on home detention on Feb 7 this year to serve the remainder of his sentence at his residence under specific conditions. He pleaded guilty on Sep 24, 2024, to four charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which forbids all public servants from obtaining any valuable thing from someone involved with them in an official capacity. These were for obtaining valuables from Singapore GP majority shareholder Ong Beng Seng and construction boss Lum Kok Seng while he held portfolios that had official dealings with the two men. Iswaran also pleaded guilty to one charge of obstructing justice by belatedly repaying the cost of a flight to Doha. Another 30 charges under Section 165 were taken into consideration for his sentencing. He was sentenced to 12 months' jail on Oct 3, 2024, and he began serving his sentence on Oct 7, 2024. Ong's case is still pending before the courts.
Malay Mail
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Former Singapore transport minister Iswaran completes sentence for corruption, released from custody
SINGAPORE, June 6 — Singapore's former transport minister S. Iswaran is no longer under prison custody, having completed his sentence under Singapore's Home Detention Scheme, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) confirmed today. Iswaran, 61, began serving a 12-month jail term in October 2024 after pleading guilty to corruption-related charges — making him the first former Cabinet minister in Singapore to be jailed. He was incarcerated for four months before being placed on home detention from February 7 this year. The SPS had earlier said he met the criteria for the scheme, citing his low risk of reoffending, clean record during incarceration, and strong family support. With the completion of his home detention, Iswaran's sentence has now officially ended. Iswaran was a Cabinet member for 13 years and had held the trade, communications and transport portfolios. He pleaded guilty last year to four counts of improperly receiving more than S$300,000 (RM986,000) worth of gifts, and one of obstructing justice.
South China Morning Post
07-02-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Former Singapore minister Iswaran placed under house arrest
Former Singapore transport minister S Iswaran, who is serving a 12-month jail term , was placed on home detention scheme from Friday. 'Like all inmates emplaced on the Home Detention Scheme, S Iswaran will serve his remaining sentence at his residence under specified conditions, which include curfew monitoring using an electronic monitoring tag, being gainfully occupied either in work, study or training, and reporting to SPS for counselling,' the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said on Friday. Iswaran began his 12-month jail term on October 7, 2024. Lawyers confirmed that in their experience, offenders become eligible for home detention after serving around one-third of their sentence. 'During home detention, inmates who have approved employment can leave the home during their working hours while inmates who are unemployed usually only have a few hours out of the home in the afternoons,' Adrian Wee of Lighthouse Law LLC said. The Prisons Act provides for home detention to facilitate inmates' rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Prisoners can be placed on home detention for a period of not more than one year.
