KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A former Singaporean Cabinet minister was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of receiving illegal gifts, in a rare criminal case involving a minister in the Asian financial hub.
Former Transport Minister S. Iswaran had pleaded guilty last week to one count of obstructing justice and four of accepting gifts from people with whom he had official business. He was the first minister to be charged and imprisoned in nearly half a century.
Justice Vincent Hoong, in his ruling, said holders of high office "must be expected to avoid any perception that they are susceptible to influence by pecuniary benefits.”
“I am of the view that it is appropriate to impose a sentence in excess of both parties’ positions,” Hoong said as he handed down a total of 12 months imprisonment for the five charges. The defense had asked for no more than eight weeks in prison, while the prosecution had pushed for six to seven months imprisonment.
The court approved Iswaran's request to delay the start of his sentence to Monday, Channel News Asia reported. He remains out on bail for now. It is unclear if he will appeal the sentence.
Iswaran was initially charged with 35 counts, but prosecutors proceeded with only five, while reducing two counts of corruption to receiving illegal gifts. Prosecutors said they will apply for the remaining 30 charges to be taken into consideration for sentencing. No reasons were given for the move.
Iswaran received gifts worth over 74,000 Singapore dollars ($57,000) from Ong Beng Seng, a Singapore-based Malaysian property tycoon, and businessperson Lum Kok Seng. The gifts included tickets to Singapore’s Formula 1 race, wine and whisky and a luxury Brompton bike. Ong owns the right to the local F1 race, and Iswaran was chair of and later adviser to the Grand Prix’s steering committee.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers said it will decide whether to charge Ong and Lum after the case against Iswaran has been resolved.
Singapore ’s ministers are among the world’s best paid. Although the amount involved in Iswaran’s case appeared to be relatively minor, his indictment is an embarrassment to the ruling People’s Action Party, which prides itself on a clean image. Singapore was ranked among the world's top five least-corrupt nations, according to Transparency International's corruption perception index.
The last Cabinet minister charged with graft was Wee Toon Boon, who was found guilty in 1975 and jailed for accepting gifts in exchange for helping a businessperson. Another Cabinet minister was investigated for graft in 1986, but died before charges were filed.
Iswaran had resigned just before he was charged. His trial comes just over four months after Singapore installed new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong after Lee Hsien Loong stepped down after 20 years.
Former Transport Minister S. Iswaran, center, and his lawyer Navin Thevar arrive at the High Court in Singapore, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried and San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove exited early because of injuries Wednesday night in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series.
Fried, who can become a free agent after the World Series, was done after two innings in what could be his final start for Atlanta. He was hit on his left hip by a comebacker from Fernando Tatis Jr. two batters into his outing.
Fried stayed in and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first, but then allowed five runs on six straight hits with two outs in the second.
“It was his hip,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “As the inning wore on it affected him. The longer he was out there, the worse he got.”
Dylan Lee took over to begin the third inning, but the damage was done. Atlanta's comeback fell short and the banged-up Braves were eliminated as the Padres completed a two-game sweep with a 5-4 victory.
Musgrove threw two slow curveballs to fall behind 2-1 on Matt Olson with two outs in the fourth and was visited by pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Padres manager Mike Shildt and an athletic trainer joined them, and Musgrove came out.
The team announced he had right elbow tightness.
Musgrove said it was “frustrating. I want to be out there and finish the job. This is the last thing I want in my first postseason outing, but that’s just the reality of it. It’s coming at a bad time, but I’ll address it, I’ll find the best possible path to get back and do my best to get back here as soon as I can.”
Musgrove participated in both the on-field celebration and the wild clubhouse party afterward. His status for the remainder of the postseason is unclear, including the best-of-five Division Series against the rival Dodgers that begins Saturday in Los Angeles.
“If you’re not a pitcher, it’s very difficult to explain. I just had a hard time getting to full extension and letting pitches go,” Musgrove said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of confidence behind it. I had two outs in the inning. I was hoping to be able to get through the inning and then address it in between, but I didn’t make it to that point.”
Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, had two stints on the injured list with right elbow inflammation this season, costing him a total of 63 games. His second stint sidelined him for 2 1/2 months.
“It would be irresponsible to get too deep into this,” Shildt said. “He said he was going to do everything he can — I put nothing past Joe Musgrove — to be able to come back.
“Something just didn’t feel right in his elbow. Structurally they feel it is OK, but we’ll get more evaluations as we go.”
Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in Padres history on April 9, 2021, in his second start with his hometown team after being obtained in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh.
Fried was a first-round draft pick of the Padres in 2012. He was traded to Atlanta in a six-player deal in December 2014. He made his big league on Aug. 8, 2017. He started and won the clinching Game 6 of the 2021 World Series against Houston.
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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove throws to an Atlanta Braves batter during the first inning in Game 2 of an NL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove exits the game during the fourth inning in Game 2 of an NL Wild Card Series baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried throws to a San Diego Padres batter during the first inning in Game 2 of an NL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
