Top Singapore ministers cleared after probe into plush properties

Two Singapore Cabinet heavyweights have been cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation into their rental of state-owned bungalows in an exclusive location, the government said on Wednesday.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have been under public scrutiny in recent weeks over their use of colonial-era bungalows carrying hefty price tags, with several lawmakers demanding explanations. Both had denied any impropriety.

"There was no evidence to suggest any abuse of position by the ministers for personal gain," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on the report.

The findings published on Wednesday said there was no preferential treatment given to the ministers in securing the rental contracts and no further action should be taken.

Social media posts had earlier mocked the ministers or expressed outrage over the size of the properties, coming at a time when many Singaporeans battle high living costs and rising prices of homes and cars.

Corruption probes are rare in Singapore, a wealthy city-state that has long prided itself on a government free from vested interests. Annual salaries of many Cabinet ministers exceed S$1 million (RM3.45 million) to discourage graft.

The report said the ministers were paying rental rates that were at a "fair market value", and not below market valuation. Shanmugam pays S$26,500 a month for his bungalow, while Balakrishnan pays S$20,000 for another bungalow, it added.

"The findings are clear. The rules were followed," Shanmugam posted on Facebook.

There was no immediate response from foreign minister Balakrishnan to a request sent after office hours.

The findings will be tabled and further discussed in Parliament on Monday.