ISTANBUL 

A court in Singapore handed a 12-month prison sentence Thursday to former Transport Minister S. Iswaran for obstructing justice and accepting more than $300,000 in gifts, local media reported.

This marks the first time a former Cabinet member has been jailed in the city-state, which is renowned for its clean governance.

Iswaran, who served in various Cabinet positions including trade, communications and transport over his 13-year tenure, pleaded guilty to four charges of improperly receiving gifts and one charge of obstructing justice.

The court allowed the 62-year-old to remain on bail for a few days, with his prison sentence set to begin on Monday.