Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng charged with two offences linked to Iswaran probe

SINGAPORE – Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was charged on Oct 4 with abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and with abetting the obstruction of justice.

The two charges are linked to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau’s (CPIB) investigations into former transport minister S. Iswaran, who was

sentenced to 12 months’ jail

on Oct 3 for, among other things, accepting a number of valuable items from Ong.

Iswaran was also accused of accepting valuable items from

Mr David Lum Kok Seng

, the managing director of mainboard-listed construction company Lum Chang Holdings. But no charges will be brought against Mr Lum, said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on Oct 4.

According to court documents, Ong, 78, 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 $4,737.63; and a business class flight from Doha to Singapore, valued at $5,700, for Iswaran.

For this, Ong 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.

Court documents on Iswaran’s case show that Ong had alerted the then minister that the CPIB had seized the flight manifest for the December 2022 trip, prompting Iswaran to ask the tycoon to bill him for the flight to avoid investigations.

Iswaran was charged with obstruction of justice over this incident.

For this, Ong was charged with the abetment of obstruction of justice.

Between May 18 and 25, 2023, Ong allegedly intentionally aided Iswaran to make payment of $5,700 to Singapore GP by instructing that the flight be billed to Iswaran. The amount covered the cost of Iswaran’s business class flight ticket from Doha to Singapore, which had been paid for by the company.

When asked how Ong intends to respond to the charges, his spokesperson said the tycoon is seeking legal advice on them.

“As this is an ongoing matter, he is unable to provide further details at this point,” the spokesperson added.

Ong, who is the chairman of Formula One (F1) race promoter Singapore GP, was among a number of individuals called up by CPIB over the Iswaran probe.

His court appearance comes more than a year after he was arrested by the CPIB on July 11, 2023. He subsequently posted bail of $100,000 and was also allowed to travel to Bali.

Iswaran, 62, had faced a total of 35 charges, most of which involved Ong. But the AGC said no additional charges will be brought against Ong over the former minister’s case.

“In arriving at this decision, the prosecution considered all the relevant facts and circumstances of the case, including the role that Ong played in each of the transactions,” the AGC said.

In response to queries from the media, an AGC spokesperson gave similar reasoning for not bringing any charges against Mr Lum. 

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Ong, had on the morning of Oct 4

requested a trading halt

pending the release of an announcement.

Ong is also the company’s managing director and controlling shareholder.

The trading halt was lifted at about 7.30pm after HPL announced that, following an assessment, Ong was deemed suitable to carry out his duties and responsibilities as managing director.

“The board and the nominating committee will continue to monitor the progress of the matter and the nominating committee will continue to re-assess the suitability of the continued appointment of Mr Ong,” said the announcement.

Ong is known as the man who brought F1 to Singapore in 2008 – the first night race in the sport’s history. He owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix.

Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters related to the race.

The two men had worked in the mid-2000s to convince then Formula One Group chief executive Bernie Ecclestone to make Singapore the venue for the sport’s first night race.

On Oct 4, Ong’s lawyer, Mr Aaron Lee from Allen and Gledhill, asked the court for a six-week adjournment, saying he needed time to take instructions from Ong.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Christopher Ong, said it had no objections.

The case was adjourned to Nov 15.  

If convicted of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, Ong can be jailed for up to two years, fined or both. 

He can be jailed for up to seven years, fined or both, if convicted of abetting obstruction of justice.