Singapore Charges Hotel Tycoon In Case Linked To Jailed Minister

Malaysian hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng was hit with two charges on Friday, both connected to Singapore's jailed ex-transport minister S. Iswaran.

The Singaporean court charged Ong with abetting the obstruction of justice and abetting a public servant to obtain valuables, a day after Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months behind bars.

No plea was taken from Ong, Channel News Asia reported. The case has been adjourned, and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for 9 am (0100 GMT) on November 15.

The first charge of abetting obstruction justice is punishable with up to seven years in jail, a fine, or both. The second charge can incur a maximum prison term of up to two years.

The 78-year-old Singapore-based billionaire has attracted significant media attention in the past year due to his links with Iswaran.

In July 2023, Ong was arrested during a graft probe involving Iswaran and was subsequently released on bail. No charges were filed against him at that time.

Iswaran pled guilty to accepting illegal gifts, including tickets to the 2017 Singapore Formula One Grand Prix, flights and a hotel stay, all furnished by Ong.

Ong owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix, while Iswaran is credited for helping bring Formula One to the financial hub.

Iswaran, 62, was convicted last week on five charges, including accepting illegal gifts and obstructing justice, in the city-state's first political graft trial in nearly half a century.

The graft charges relate to Iswaran's receipt of gifts from Ong and from Lum Kok Seng, a director of a construction company.

Iswaran was also charged with obstruction of justice relating to an attempt to block Singaporean authorities from investigating a business-class flight at Ong's expense.

The government said it would review the terms of its Formula One Grand Prix deal after Iswaran's resignation in January. This year's race in Singapore concluded on September 22.