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.

Real Estate

05 Sep 2025

Vitizen Hotels Signs Deal at Manyata Tech Park

Vikram Kamats Hospitality, as part of its ongoing expansion in key metropolitan markets, announced that its material subsidiary, Vitizen Hotels, has signed a long-term lease agreement for a 45-key hotel property at Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru.Strategically located in the city’s prominent IT hub, the property is well-positioned to serve corporate travelers, business professionals, and long-stay guests. The addition aligns with the company’s asset-light growth model, leveraging long-term leases to expand its footprint in high-demand urban markets.The hotel is expected to strengthen the comp..

CONCOR Signs MoU with BPIPL to Operate Container Terminal at Bhavnagar Port

Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhavnagar Port Infrastructure (BPIPL) on September 4, 2025, in New Delhi to operate and maintain the upcoming container terminal at the northside of Bhavnagar Port, Gujarat.BPIPL had earlier entered into an agreement with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) in September 2024 for the port’s development. Under this arrangement, 235 hectares of land has been leased to BPIPL for 30 years, with provision for expansion by an additional 250 hectares.The new terminal is expected to significantly enhance logistic..

Concord Launches India’s First Indigenous Zero-Emission Rail Propulsion

Concord Control Systems (CCSL), a leader in embedded electronics and critical rail technologies, has announced the development of India’s first fully indigenous zero-emission propulsion system, marking a significant step toward the country’s railway electrification and net-zero goals for 2030.Powered by Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries and featuring a DC chopper-based drive, the propulsion system eliminates idling losses common in diesel engines, offering higher efficiency, lower costs, and zero emissions.What sets this innovation apart is its completely indigenous design. Except for..