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PROPERTY tycoon, hotelier and Singapore GP head Ong Beng Seng was charged over his involvement in the case of former Singapore transport minister S Iswaran.
According to court documents, the 78-year-old had sometime in December 2022 allegedly instigated Iswaran to obtain a valuable thing by offering him a trip from Singapore to Doha on his private plane with a value of about US$7,700 ($10,410.40).
He also arranged a one-night’s stay in Four Seasons Hotel Doha with a value of S$4,737.63; and a business class flight from Doha to Singapore with a value of S$5,700 for Iswaran.
Iswaran, who was sentenced to one year in jail on Thursday, pleaded guilty to obtaining items such as Formula 1 tickets and a trip to Doha from Ong.
The court documents also revealed that Ong had alerted Iswaran about the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) seizing the flight manifest for the trip, leading the former minister to ask Ong to bill him for the flight in a bid to prevent scrutiny over the gifts.
This incident was the basis for the obstruction of justice charge against Iswaran.
Ong, the chairman of Formula One (F1) race promoter Singapore GP, was among several individuals summoned by CPIB about the Iswaran probe.
Ong was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and was accompanied by four others, including his lawyer Aaron Lee from Allen and Gledhill.
The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) said then that it would decide in respect to Ong after Iswaran pleaded guilty.
Two of Iswaran's charges are related to Ong. - October 4, 2024