Singapore court charges Hotel Properties owner with obstructing justice

08 Oct 2024 CW Team

A Singapore court charged a property billionaire with obstructing justice and abetting offenses related to flights and luxury hotel accommodations provided to a disgraced former transport minister, who had been jailed the previous day in a significant corruption case.

Ong Beng Seng, a 78-year-old owner of Hotel Properties and the rights holder for the Singapore Grand Prix Formula One race, is accused of giving high-value gifts to former minister S Iswaran, who became the first former cabinet member to be imprisoned in Singapore.

The case has garnered considerable attention in Singapore, a prosperous financial center known for offering ministers salaries exceeding $1 million to prevent corruption, and for its reputation for clean governance.

Iswaran received a 12-month prison sentence for obstructing justice and improperly accepting gifts as a public servant, with Ong being a key figure in the prosecution's case. Ong, a Malaysian citizen residing in Singapore, has not yet commented on the allegations. According to Channel NewsAsia, he did not enter a plea on Friday and did not specify how he would respond to the charges.

Ong's company, Hotel Properties, which is listed in Singapore, requested a trading halt early on following the announcement of his impending charges.

During Iswaran's trial, prosecutors revealed that the former minister had received gifts valued at over $300,000, including tickets to English Premier League soccer matches, the F1 Grand Prix, London musicals, and a private jet ride to Doha.

Ong faced one count of abetting Iswaran’s acceptance of two flights and luxury hotel accommodations in Doha valued at S$20,848.03, as well as one count of abetting Iswaran in obstructing justice, as stated by the attorney-general's chambers. These charges pertain to two of the 35 charges against Iswaran.

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

Mizoram To Build Rs 139 Billion Pumped Storage Power Plant

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday announced plans to construct a 2,400 MW pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Hnahthial district, marking a major step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency in the state. Addressing the Mizo Students’ Union general conference in Hnahthial town, the Chief Minister said the plant would be developed across the Darzo Nallah, a tributary of the Tuipui river. Once operational, the project is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting Mizoram’s rising electricity demand and reducing dependence on imported power. Officials from the State Power..

Centre Plans Nationwide Opening Of Power Retail Market

India is preparing to open up its retail electricity market to private companies nationwide, effectively ending the long-standing monopoly of state-run power distributors in most regions, according to a draft bill released by the Union Power Ministry on Friday. The move will enable major private sector players — including Adani Enterprises, Tata Power, Torrent Power, and CESC — to expand their presence across the country’s electricity distribution landscape. A similar reform attempt in 2022 had faced strong opposition from state-run distribution companies (discoms), which currently dom..

CEA Sets 100 GW Nuclear Target For India By 2047

In a landmark step marking its 52nd Foundation Day, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) unveiled an ambitious roadmap to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2047, aligning with India’s long-term Net-Zero commitment and energy security objectives. The event, held at the Central Water Commission auditorium in New Delhi’s R.K. Puram, was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, who served as the Chief Guest. The roadmap sets out a detailed plan to expand India’s nuclear capacity from its current level of approximately 8,180 MW as of early 2025, outl..