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Iswaran advised by doctor not to travel for 12 days after discharge from hospital: AGC

2024-03-06 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - Former transport minister S. Iswaran was advised by his doctor not to travel for 12 days following his discharge on March 5 from a hospital in Melbourne.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said the prosecution was kept posted.

“The prosecution was informed on March 5 that Mr Iswaran had been discharged from hospital that day and that Mr Iswaran was advised by his doctor not to travel for 12 days following the discharge,” said a spokesman.

ST had reported that the former minister was warded at the private hospital Cabrini Malvern for respiratory illness, and that he was subsequently discharged.

The hospital is run by Cabrini Health – a Catholic, not-for-profit private health service located in south-east Melbourne.

Iswaran, who is facing corruption charges and out on $800,000 bail, was originally slated to be in Australia from Feb 16 to March 4.

He was granted permission to leave to help his son settle in at a university in Melbourne.

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Several conditions were imposed, including an additional cash bail of $500,000.

He had to also provide the investigation officer (IO) with his itinerary, his address overseas, and remain contactable by the IO.

He must also surrender his travel documents within 24 hours of his return to Singapore.

The defence later filed an application to extend his trip by 16 days, after he fell ill while abroad.

The former minister was granted permission to remain abroad, but he has to report to the IO daily via video call, and provide updates on his medical condition and whether there are any issues concerning his return to Singapore on March 19.

Iswaran is accused of 24 counts of obtaining, as a minister, items with a total value of more than $200,000 from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008.

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These items include tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix (GP), football matches in Britain and musicals.

Several of the charges are related to alleged incidents that happened between 2015 and 2021, and involved him purportedly obtaining tickets to a football match between West Ham United and Everton, and shows such as Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.

He also faces a charge of obstructing the course of justice on or about May 25, 2023.

According to court documents, he had allegedly made repayment of $5,700 – the cost of his business class flight ticket from Doha to Singapore that he purportedly took on Dec 11, 2022, at Mr Ong’s expense – through Singapore GP.

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Following his court appearance on Jan 18, 2024, Iswaran issued a statement stating his innocence and said he will focus on clearing his name.

He was elected in 1997 as an MP for West Coast GRC, where he served for 26 years. He was promoted to full minister in the Prime Minister’s Office in 2011.

Iswaran resigned from the People’s Action Party in January and stepped down as transport minister and West Coast GRC MP.