It was an extraordinary series of events in Singapore: a government minister was charged with corruption and then brought into court. The transport minister, S. Iswaran, was formally accused on Monday of accepting bribes, including a ride on a private jet and tickets to the musical "Hamilton" and soccer games in Britain.
He resigned from his position before appearing in court on Thursday and pleading not guilty.
Singapore has long boasted its pristine image. Singapore has repeatedly been praised for its absence of corruption. In 2022, it was the only Asian country to rank in the top ten of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
Allegations of wrongdoing against Iswaran surfaced in July.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ordered him to take a leave of absence as authorities investigated his dealings with a businessman who helped bring the Formula One event to Singapore.
Almost all of the charges date from 2015 to 2021, when Iswaran is accused of collecting "valuable things" from property mogul Ong Beng Seng for approximately $160,000. He is also accused of accepting Formula One race tickets in Singapore, a travel to Doha on Ong's private plane, and a night's stay at the Four Seasons hotel.
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