TRANSPORT Minister S Iswaran, who is currently involved in a graft probe, has been interdicted from duty with a reduced monthly salary of S$8,500 until further notice, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in Parliament on Wednesday (Aug 2).

In a ministerial statement, PM Lee told the House that he used the current civil service practice as a reference point, since there is no rule or precedent on how to effect an interdiction on a political office holder, given that such incidents are rare.

The specific details in Iswaran’s case follow generally how the civil service would deal with a senior officer in a similar situation, said PM Lee.

“But this was my decision as prime minister because the political contexts for a minister and a civil servant being investigated and interdicted are different,” he added.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) announced on Jul 12 that Iswaran was assisting the agency with investigations, without providing further details. It was later revealed that the minister and billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng had both been arrested on Jul 11 and subsequently released on bail.

PM Lee pointed out that as CPIB investigations are still ongoing, he was unable to provide more details on the case so as to not prejudice the investigations in any way.

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“I ask members of this House and the public to refrain from speculation and conjecture,” he said. “We must allow CPIB to do its work, to investigate the matter fully, thoroughly and independently.”

When the investigation is completed, CPIB will submit its findings to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, which will decide what to do with them.

“Whichever way the facts come out, the case will be taken to its logical conclusion. That has always been our way,” said the prime minister.

PM Lee noted that CPIB had discovered the case on its own. The anti-graft agency alerted PM Lee on May 29 and pursued this lead further on its own volition, he added.

CPIB’s director Denis Tang then briefed PM Lee on the findings he had at that point on Jul 5 and said the agency would need to interview Iswaran to take the investigations further, seeking his concurrence to open a formal investigation.

PM Lee said he gave his concurrence on Jul 6.