Ong Beng Seng faces two charges linked with Iswaran’s offences, out on S$800k bail

SINGAPORE: Property tycoon and hotelier Ong Beng Seng charged in court on Friday (4 October) with two offences linked to former Transport Minister S Iswaran's case. Mr Ong, who serves as Hotel Properties Limited (HPL)’s managing director, faces one count each under Sections 165 and 204A of Singapore’s Penal Code for abetment. Section 165 pertains to a public servant obtaining valuables from individuals with whom they have an official relationship, while Section 204A deals with obstructing justice. If found guilty under Section 165, offenders face up to two years in jail, a fine, or both. Abetting such offences carries the same penalties if the crime is committed due to the abetment. Ong's charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to Iswaran. The defence has requested a six-week adjournment for further instructions from Ong, a motion the prosecution, led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Christopher Ong, did not oppose. The case has been rescheduled for a pre-trial conference on 15 November at 9 am. Ong is currently out on S$800,000 bail and is represented by Aaron Lee from Allen & Gledhill. The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran's initial graft charges earlier this year. These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha. These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong's business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert. Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165. Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines. Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved. On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong. The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong was arrested by CPIB in July 2023

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong's involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran's guilty plea. The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges. According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran's conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran's use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022. CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document. Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight. Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge. In addition to Ong, construction tycoon Lum Kok Seng was also linked to the additional charges filed against Iswaran in March this year. Iswaran, who became transport minister in 2021, admitted to accepting valuable items worth approximately S$19,000 from Lum, including a Brompton bicycle, luxury wines, and golf equipment. However, no charges have been publicly announced against Lum.

Controversies surrounding Ong

This is not the first time Ong has found himself embroiled in controversy. The 1990s saw questions over luxury condominium units sold by his company to Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his son. The units, part of the Nassim Jade and Scotts 28 condominiums, were allegedly sold at special discounts. This raised eyebrows due to Ong’s familial links with the Lees – his uncle, Lee Suan Yew, was a director at HPL. Although then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong cleared the Lees of any wrongdoing in 1996, the incident has remained a notable mark on Ong’s business record. Furthermore, an investigative report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project in 2018 revealed allegations of corruption involving Ong in the leasing of two islands in the Maldives. The report suggested that HPL had sidestepped Maldivian laws requiring public tender for island leases, instead conducting direct negotiations with Maldivian officials. It was also alleged that a US$5 million payment made for the lease of Fohtheyo island had been siphoned off through a company associated with friends of the then Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb. Ong did not respond to these allegations. Ong, who is the founder of the Singapore-based organization Hotel Properties and a shareholder in many businesses, has a net worth of S$1.7 billion. Together with his wife Christina, they ranked No. 25 on Forbes’ Singapore’s 50 Richest list, which was published in August 2022.