01:48Former transport minister of Singapore S. Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to charges of receiving illegal gifts.
Footage shows the politician arriving at the court, where he was surrounded by dozens of reporters. As he exited the building, he was once again swamped by the media crews and refused to answer any questions.
"I'm really shocked, really, to see that Iswaran was handed out a sentence of a year in prison....Singapore is a country where we do not tolerate any form of corruption," said Muhammad Rafi'uddin Bin Mohammed, a citizen, following the trial. "His time is up."
Darren Tan, a bank worker, claimed that Iswaran's case would not 'reflect badly' on the governing PAP (People's Action Party), but called for 'safeguards' in case a prime minister or president 'were to do wrong.'
The Singapore Supreme Court sentenced Iswaran to 12 months in prison for hindering justice and collecting more than $400,000 Singapore dollars ($308,880) in gifts, marking the first jailing of an ex-cabinet member in the city-state.
The 62-year-old was a cabinet member for 13 years, with the commerce, communications, and transportation portfolios. He pled guilty last week to four counts of inappropriately receiving gifts and one count of obstructing justice.
The former minister was detained in July of last year. He first asserted his innocence, stating that he would fight to clear his name, but then pleaded guilty to the five counts brought before the court.
He is the first minister to be convicted for corruption in almost 50 years. A national development minister was investigated for bribery in 1986 but died before charges were brought.
'His time is up' - Singapore's ex-transport minister Iswaran jailed for one year following historic corruption scandal
Former transport minister of Singapore S. Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to charges of receiving illegal gifts.
Footage shows the politician arriving at the court, where he was surrounded by dozens of reporters. As he exited the building, he was once again swamped by the media crews and refused to answer any questions.
"I'm really shocked, really, to see that Iswaran was handed out a sentence of a year in prison....Singapore is a country where we do not tolerate any form of corruption," said Muhammad Rafi'uddin Bin Mohammed, a citizen, following the trial. "His time is up."
Darren Tan, a bank worker, claimed that Iswaran's case would not 'reflect badly' on the governing PAP (People's Action Party), but called for 'safeguards' in case a prime minister or president 'were to do wrong.'
The Singapore Supreme Court sentenced Iswaran to 12 months in prison for hindering justice and collecting more than $400,000 Singapore dollars ($308,880) in gifts, marking the first jailing of an ex-cabinet member in the city-state.
The 62-year-old was a cabinet member for 13 years, with the commerce, communications, and transportation portfolios. He pled guilty last week to four counts of inappropriately receiving gifts and one count of obstructing justice.
The former minister was detained in July of last year. He first asserted his innocence, stating that he would fight to clear his name, but then pleaded guilty to the five counts brought before the court.
He is the first minister to be convicted for corruption in almost 50 years. A national development minister was investigated for bribery in 1986 but died before charges were brought.
Former transport minister of Singapore S. Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to charges of receiving illegal gifts.
Footage shows the politician arriving at the court, where he was surrounded by dozens of reporters. As he exited the building, he was once again swamped by the media crews and refused to answer any questions.
"I'm really shocked, really, to see that Iswaran was handed out a sentence of a year in prison....Singapore is a country where we do not tolerate any form of corruption," said Muhammad Rafi'uddin Bin Mohammed, a citizen, following the trial. "His time is up."
Darren Tan, a bank worker, claimed that Iswaran's case would not 'reflect badly' on the governing PAP (People's Action Party), but called for 'safeguards' in case a prime minister or president 'were to do wrong.'
The Singapore Supreme Court sentenced Iswaran to 12 months in prison for hindering justice and collecting more than $400,000 Singapore dollars ($308,880) in gifts, marking the first jailing of an ex-cabinet member in the city-state.
The 62-year-old was a cabinet member for 13 years, with the commerce, communications, and transportation portfolios. He pled guilty last week to four counts of inappropriately receiving gifts and one count of obstructing justice.
The former minister was detained in July of last year. He first asserted his innocence, stating that he would fight to clear his name, but then pleaded guilty to the five counts brought before the court.
He is the first minister to be convicted for corruption in almost 50 years. A national development minister was investigated for bribery in 1986 but died before charges were brought.