Singapore’s former transport minister S. Iswaran is in the spotlight as an unprecedented criminal trial begins on Tuesday

The trial will begin after months of court filings and delays.

Iswaran had maintained his innocence from the beginning and pleaded not guilty on the day of his arraignment in January – an unusual move, as defendants do not usually enter their pleas so early.

His lawyers have been conducting various legal maneuvers since January.

These include his successful application to travel to Australia to help his son settle into university, his delayed return due to illness, and several attempts to persuade the Crown Prosecution Service to release all witness statements.

WHAT ISWARAN SAID ABOUT THE CASE

In a media statement following his indictment in January, Iswaran said: “I am innocent and will now focus on clearing my name.”

Iswaran, whose political career spanned nearly 30 years, resigned from his government posts two days before his first court date in January.

He had previously been placed on leave pending the completion of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) investigation.

He said he submitted his resignation letter to then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong “without being asked to do so”.

“I have resigned from my positions as a Cabinet Minister, Member of Parliament and member of the People’s Action Party because I believe it was the right thing to do.”

“I also informed the Prime Minister on (Wednesday) that although I am innocent, I will repay all monies I received as a ministerial salary and as a member of parliament from the start of the CPIB investigation in July 2023.”

He received a reduced monthly salary of S$8,500 and the full annual MP’s allowance of S$192,500.

In a preview of his possible defense, influential lawyer Singh said at a court hearing in May that Iswaran had neither known nor suspected that the gifts from Ong and Lum were “disguised rewards.”

“He was dealing with very, very dear and close friends,” Mr Singh said. “His state of mind at the time was that not only was he dealing with close friends, but he had no idea that there were any … he had no knowledge or suspicion that the gifts were being offered as a disguised reward.”