Renowned property tycoon, hotelier, and Head of Singapore GP, Ong Beng Seng, is set to face charges in court on Friday, October 4. The charges are believed to be related to allegations of abetting offenses under Section 165 and Section 204A of the Penal Code, concerning public servant conduct and obstructing justice.
According to CNA, reports from the court say that Ong Beng Seng is currently out on S$800,000 bail and has been embroiled in recent headlines due to his association with former minister, S Iswaran. The charges appear to be linked to accusations that Iswaran, the former transport minister, accepted many gifts from Ong Beng Seng, like tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.
Initially facing graft charges, Iswaran was accused of obtaining these gifts to benefit Ong’s business interests in contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert. However, the charges later changed to lesser offenses under Section 165 of the Penal Code, involving taking valuables from an individual associated with him in an official capacity.
Iswaran, after pleading guilty to charges involving over S$400,000 worth of items such as flight tickets, whisky, and wines, received a one-year jail sentence on October 3. In a related development, Ong Beng Seng, a Malaysian based in Singapore, had been arrested in July 2023 and subsequently released on bail. Following Iswaran’s admission of guilt, the Attorney-General’s Chambers announced plans to decide on Ong Beng Seng shortly.
Notably, no mention has been made of Lum Kok Seng, another businessman who is also part of Iswaran’s case. Lum Kok Seng, a director at Lum Chang Building Contractors, was involved in a S$325 million contract for works at Tanah Merah Station and its viaducts in 2016.
Iswaran acknowledged receiving valuable items, including whisky, wine, golf equipment, and a bicycle worth S$7,907 from Lum, prompting further scrutiny. Iswaran’s involvement in the case came to light in May 2023 when the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) discovered a flight manifest showing Iswaran had traveled on Ong Beng Seng’s private jet from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.
Following the seizure of the flight manifest by CPIB, Ong Beng Seng directed Iswaran to have the expenses billed to him through Singapore GP, leading to Iswaran issuing a cheque for S$5,700 to Singapore GP in May 2023, forming the basis for the obstruction of justice charge he faced.
