[SINGAPORE] Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng has been granted permission by the court to leave Singapore for over two weeks in the middle of his court case.
The 79 year old will be travelling to England, the United States and Italy between Apr 28 and May 16 for both medical and work-related purposes, a spokesman for the hotelier said.
Ong, who has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare form of white blood cancer, had the mention of his guilty plea rescheduled to a later date, to give him time to obtain further medical reports.
The businessman was handed two charges in October 2024, stemming from his dealings with former transport minister S Iswaran.
The first charge, for abetting an offence under Section 165 of the Penal Code, relates to flights and a hotel stay.
Ong allegedly offered Iswaran a trip to Doha in December 2022, and arranged for his private jet to fly the minister there. The flight was worth US$7,700.
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Ong also allegedly made arrangements through Singapore GP for a one-night stay at Four Seasons Hotel Doha, valued at S$4,737.63, and is said to have offered Iswaran a business-class flight from Doha to Singapore worth S$5,700.
Section 165 prohibits public servants from accepting valuable items for free or inadequate payment from someone connected to business transactions or proceedings they handle.
The second charge was for allegedly instructing Singapore GP director Mok Chee Liang, in May 2023, to bill Iswaran for the business-class ticket from Doha to Singapore – an action that would have obstructed the course of justice.
Those found guilty of offences under Section 165 can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both. The maximum penalty for obstructing the course of justice is jail time of up to seven years, a fine, or both. Abetting an offence would result in the same punishment if the offence is committed as a consequence of the abetment.
In order to manage his illness, Ong will step down from his position as managing director of Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) at the close of the group’s AGM on Apr 29. He will, however, still be HPL’s controlling shareholder.
A pre-trial conference for Ong’s court case will be held on Friday (Apr 25).
