Singaporean property tycoon, hotelier, and Singapore GP head Ong Beng Seng is set to be charged on Friday, October 4, according to court records. The charges are related to allegations of abetting under Section 165 and Section 204A of the Penal Code. Section 165 pertains to a public servant obtaining valuables, while Section 204A is associated with obstructing justice. Ong Beng Seng is currently out on S$800,000 bail.
This case has garnered attention due to the tycoon’s involvement with former minister S Iswaran. Ong Beng Seng was implicated in Iswaran’s initial graft charges, which alleged that the former transport minister had corruptly obtained tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha from Ong Beng Seng. These alleged gifts were said to be inducements for furthering Ong Beng Seng’s business interests in contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.
The charges against Iswaran were later amended by the prosecution to lesser charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, for obtaining valuables from someone linked to him in an official capacity. Iswaran pleaded guilty on September 24 to charges involving more than S$400,000 in items and was subsequently sentenced to a year in jail on October 3.
Ong Beng Seng, a Malaysia-based businessman arrested in July 2023 and released on bail, has had no charges filed against him until now. However, following Iswaran’s guilty plea, the Attorney-General’s Chambers announced that a decision regarding Ong Beng Seng would be made soon.
Additionally, there have been no updates regarding construction boss Lum Kok Seng, the other businessman linked to Iswaran’s case. Lum Kok Seng, a director at Lum Chang Building Contractors, had entered into a significant contract for works to Tanah Merah Station and its viaducts in 2016, prior to Iswaran becoming transport minister in 2021. Iswaran admitted to obtaining valuable items from Lum Chang Building Contractors, including bottles of whisky and wine, golf equipment, and a S$7,907 Brompton bicycle as a gift for his 60th birthday.
The case involving Iswaran first came to light in May 2023 when the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) stumbled upon a flight manifest showing Iswaran had taken a trip on Ong Beng Seng’s private jet from Singapore to Doha in December 2022. Following this discovery, Ong Beng Seng contacted Iswaran, who then requested that Singapore GP be billed for the Doha trip. Iswaran later issued a cheque for S$5,700 to Singapore GP in May 2023, and this repayment formed the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.
