The tycoon faces one charge of abetting offences under Section 165 of the Penal Code, and one charge of abetting the obstruction of justice
[SINGAPORE] Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng is expected to plead guilty on Aug 4, after several pre-trial conferences in relation to a case involving former transport minister S Iswaran were rescheduled.
On Monday (Jul 28), court records were updated after a hearing was held in the morning. Ong remains on bail.
The former managing director of Hotel Properties Ltd, Ong is widely known for bringing the Formula 1 night race to Singapore in 2008, and owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix (GP).
He faces one charge of abetting offences under Section 165 of the Penal Code – which forbids public servants from accepting gifts from people involved with them in an official capacity – and one charge of abetting the obstruction of justice.
According to previously available court documents, the first charge 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 him there. The flight was worth US$7,700.
The second charge is 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. Abetting an offence would result in the same punishment, if the offence is committed as a consequence of the abetment.
The maximum penalty for obstructing the course of justice is jail time of up to seven years, a fine, or both.
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