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.

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