Iswaran pleads not guilty to 8 new charges

Former transport minister S Iswaran pleaded not guilty after he was handed eight new charges upon his return to court on Monday (March 25).

The additional charges are under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which makes it an offence for public servants to accept gifts from someone involved with them in an official capacity.

Iswaran, 61, is accused of obtaining valuable things including bottles of whiskey, golf clubs and a Brompton bicycle from a man named Lum Kok Seng, according to charge sheets.

These items have a total value of about $18,956.94, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement on Monday.

CPIB added that Iswaran, who allegedly committed the offences between November 2021 and 2022, knew Lum during his tenure as transport minister.

Iswaran now faces a total of 35 charges.

If convicted under Section 165 of the Penal Code, a person will be fined or jailed for up to two years, or both.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com