KUALA LUMPUR — Singapore is to charge Malaysian billionaire Ong Beng Seng today in relation to the corruption scandal involving the republic’s former transport minister S. Iswaran.
Media reported court records showing that the Penal Code charges pertain to abetment of a public servant in obtaining valuables and abetment in obstructing justice.
The property and hotel tycoon based in Singapore was arrested in July 2023 and released on S$800,000 (around RM2.6 million) bail, the court documents state.
Ong, 78, had his name mentioned in Iswaran’s initial graft charges which accused the latter of corruptly securing tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix from Ong.
Iswaran was also accused of obtaining flights and a hotel stay in Doha from the magnate. These, and the F1 tickets, were to ensure contracts for Ong with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP as well as for a concert.
Iswaran who has pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one count of obstructing justice, was yesterday sentenced to 12 months’ jail.
He is to begin his sentence on Monday, subject to any applications.
Channel News Asia reported that after his guilty plea, Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers announced that it would “take a decision in respect of Mr Ong Beng Seng soon”.
According to CNA’s reports, Ong’s name surfaced during investigation on a separate matter which found a flight manifest that showed Iswaran had flown on the tycoon’s private jet from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.
After learning the flight manifest had been seized by investigators, Iswaran subsequently paid S$5,700 to Ong through Singapore GP for the trip, which formed the basis for the obstruction of justice charge. — October 4, 2024