Justice Hoong said significant harm was caused to the trust in public office.
This exceeded the requests of both the prosecution and defence, which Justice Vincent Hoong described as “manifestly inadequate”.
As a minister and chairman of the Formula One steering committee, Iswaran was tasked to oversee high-level decisions and collaboration between government agencies and the Singapore Grand Prix as a national project. He said the mere perception that the receiver is under the influence of the giver, who is cultivating goodwill, is already harmful to trust in public institutions.
Regarding Iswaran voluntarily returning the benefits he had received, the judge said: “The harm done to the public interest, in the form of damage to trust and confidence in public institutions, is unlikely to be adequately remedied by these actions.” “While the accused did not actively seek out the gifts, he cannot be described as a mere passive acceptor,” said Justice Hoong, who listed the ways Iswaran had acted with deliberation in obtaining gifts.
“The fact that obtained special access to the Green Room tickets by virtue of his connection with OBS who was concerned in business transacted by the accused in his official capacity, was of itself injurious to the integrity of office,” he said. The defence argued that Iswaran was offered the gifts in the context of friendship, but the judge disagreed and said that the former transport minister had abused his position by obtaining gifts despite knowing Mr Ong’s close connection to his duties.
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