Singapore – Singapore, a nation consistently ranked as among the least corrupt in the world, is gearing up for that rarest of things: a high-profile corruption trial.

S Iswaran, a former transport minister best known for his role in helping to bring the Formula One (F1) night race to Singapore, is the first political officeholder in almost four decades to face a corruption investigation.

The 62-year-old goes on trial on Tuesday, September 24, on 35 charges of obtaining valuables as a public servant, corruption and obstructing the course of justice. Civil servants and political officeholders are prohibited from accepting gifts valued above 50 Singapore dollars ($38) in the course of their duties.

The father of three is accused of accepting more than 400,000 Singapore dollars ($306,000) in gifts from two businessmen: Malaysian billionaire Ong Beng Seng, who was also instrumental in securing the F1 race, and Lum Kok Seng, a man with strong ties to grassroots organisations in Iswaran’s former electoral ward. The gifts include tickets to West End musicals, flights, bottles of whisky, English Premier League match tickets and even a Brompton bicycle.

Neither Ong nor Lum have been charged with any offence.

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