Government corruption cases are more common in some countries than in others. One place where they're very unusual is Singapore — and that's bringing some unwelcome attention.
The last time a senior government official in Singapore was even accused of corruption was back in 1986.
That's the year the space shuttle Challenger tragically blew up, the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl melted down, and Ferdinand Marcos Sr. of the Philippines left the presidency and the country.
That year, the National Development Minister of Singapore was accused of taking bribes — but he died before he was charged in court.
This year, it's Singapore's transport minister who stands accused by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.
S. Iswaran faces 27 charges from corruption to obstruction of justice — and could face at least seven years in prison.
Charges are still pending against property developer Ong Beng Seng, who is accused of paying the minister kickbacks worth nearly $300,000.
That includes flights, tickets to English Premier League soccer games, and Formula One races at a time when the minister played a crucial role in bringing the Formula One Grand Prix to Singapore.
Ong owns the rights to that race.
The minister has resigned from his cabinet post and is out on bail. He says he's innocent and plans to fight the case in court.
