Former Singapore Minister Transferred to Home Detention After Corruption Conviction

Subramaniam Iswaran, the first Singaporean politician tried for corruption in decades, has begun serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest after being jailed for accepting substantial gifts.

A former senior minister of Singapore, Subramaniam Iswaran, has been granted permission to serve the rest of his 12-month prison sentence under house arrest. This change comes after his guilty plea on 7 October 2023 for accepting gifts exceeding S$403,000 (approximately $300,000 or £240,000) during his term, in addition to obstructing justice. Iswaran’s conviction marks a rare instance of corruption involving a public official in Singapore, a nation known for its tough stance against such practices.

The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) disclosed that Iswaran was moved to home detention on Friday, following an assessment that deemed him a "low risk" for recidivism, alongside a consideration of his positive conduct while imprisoned and the support of his family. He will need to wear an electronic monitoring device and report to prison officials regularly while in this modified detention. Onlookers, including local media, have reported sightings of Iswaran dining at home shortly after his transfer.

His prison term was deemed substantial, exceeding what his legal team and the prosecutors had anticipated during the trial. The presiding judge emphasized the heightened accountability public officials should bear when committing acts of corruption. Notably, Iswaran has made history as the first political office-holder in Singapore to face a court trial for corruption in the last half-century. The last similar case dates back to 1986, involving development minister Teh Cheang Wan, who tragically took his life amid corruption allegations before being formally charged.