The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said Friday (February 7) that former transport minister S Iswaran has been placed on home detention, reported Channel News Asia.
In a statement to the outlet, the SPS said Iswaran will be serving his remaining sentence at his residence under “specified conditions”.
The former minister’s 12-month jail term began on October 7 last year.
“Like all inmates emplaced on the Home Detention Scheme, S Iswaran will serve his remaining sentence at his residence under specified conditions, which include curfew monitoring using an electronic monitoring tag, being gainfully occupied either in work, study or training, and reporting to SPS for counselling,” the prison service said.
What is Singapore’s home detention scheme?
Under the country’s Prisons Act, inmates who show cooperative behaviour with the authorities are allowed remission if they fulfil certain conditions.
They become eligible for the scheme after serving two-thirds of their sentence, or after serving 14 days of their sentence, whichever ends later.
Notably, the home detention scheme can only be availed for a period of not more than one year.
“(Iswaran) has been assessed suitable for emplacement on the scheme, as he is of low risk of re-offending, did not commit any institutional offence in prison, and has strong family support,” said the service.
According to the SPS, around 44 per cent of inmates availed home detention scheme last year.
Iswaran’s legal troubles
In September 2024, Isw aran pleaded guilty to accepting gifts worth thousands of dollars while being in office, after initially dismissing the charges.
He was initially charged with 35 offences, of which 30 charges under section 165 of Penal Code were taken into consideration.
In total, the 62-year-old admitted to receive US $300,000 worth of valuables over seven years, including gifts and tickets to sports events.
The former transport minister stepped down in January 2024 and announced he was forfeiting gains worth US $281,379.
Iswaran’s case shocked Singapore, known for its efficient bureaucracy and clean governance. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index last year said Singapore was among the world’s top five least corrupt countries.