Singapore’s Transport Minister S Iswaran was arrested on Tuesday (Jul 11) and later freed on bail, according to the Corrupt Practises Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on Friday.
This is the first indication of Mr. Iswaran being arrested since news leaked on Wednesday that he was assisting the anti-graft agency with a case it had discovered. The nature of the probe is still unknown.
CPIB was replying to CNA’s questions about billionaire businessman Ong Beng Seng’s arrest, announced by his company Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) earlier on Friday.
CPIB requested information from the Malaysian tycoon headquartered in Singapore regarding his interactions with Mr Iswaran.
“Subjects’ passports are impounded as part of bail conditions,” said the agency. “Subjects on bail can, however, make requests to travel overseas. CPIB will assess such requests on a case-by-case basis.”
CPIB stated that it evaluated and granted Mr Ong’s request to travel overseas and that his bail was enhanced to S$100,000. CNA has inquired regarding Mr Iswaran’s bail amount.
“Upon his return, Ong is required to report to CPIB and surrender his passport,” CPIB added.
The agency stated that it could not provide additional information because investigations continued.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had also directed Mr Iswaran to take a leave of absence until the probe was finished.
During this time, he will be confined to Singapore without access to official resources or government premises.
Mr. Iswaran has been in politics for over 26 years. He was originally elected as a Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC in 1997 and was elevated to the Cabinet in 2006.
Since May 2021, he has served as transport minister and minister-in-charge of trade relations at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).
Mr Iswaran worked in the public and private sectors before entering politics, including at MTI and Temasek Holdings. According to a 2007 Reuters story, he had business relations with Mr Ong there.
That same year, Singapore was awarded the rights to stage the first-ever Formula One night race, a deal in which 77-year-old Ong is widely credited with playing a crucial part.
Mr Ong owns the Singapore Grand Prix and serves as the chairman of race promoter Singapore GP.
In 2022, Singapore inked a contract to host the Formula One race for another seven years, the fourth and longest extension ever.
Mr Iswaran has been an active participant in the government’s relationship with F1, including attendance at news conferences where pronouncements about the event’s future were made.
