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PROPERTY tycoon Ong Beng Seng (pic) is set to plead guilty to two charges linked to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau’s (CPIB) investigations into former transport minister S. Iswaran.
According to reports, Ong, 79, was charged on October 4, 2024, with abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and with abetting the obstruction of justice.
There was a pre-trial conference for Ong on Feb 28 and his decision to plead guilty to his charges was reflected in an update on the court’s case management system following the hearing.
His plead guilty date is set for April 2.
The billionaire was charged with one count of abetment under Section 165, which makes it an offence for a public servant to accept anything of value from any person with whom he is involved in an official capacity without payment or with inadequate payment.
According to court documents, the businessman allegedly instigated Iswaran to obtain a valuable item in December 2022 by offering the then minister a trip from Singapore to Doha. The flight on Ong’s private plane was valued at US$7,700 (S$10,400).
Ong also arranged a one-night stay in Four Seasons Hotel Doha with a value of US$4,737.63, and a business class flight from Doha to Singapore, valued at US$5,700, for Iswaran.
Iswaran, who was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and the chief negotiator for race-related business matters, had worked closely with Ong in the mid-2000s to persuade then-Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone to bring the night race to Singapore.
The former minister, 62, faced a total of 35 charges, most of which involved Ong.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers has stated that no additional charges will be brought against Ong in relation to Iswaran’s case.
Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months’ jail on October 3 for, among other offences, accepting valuable gifts from Ong. – March 1, 2025
