Hotel magnate Ong Beng Seng appeared in a state court in Singapore on October 4, 2024.
AFP (via Getty Images)
A Singapore court on Friday linked real estate tycoon Ong Ben Seng to a case against former transport minister S Iswaran, who was found guilty of breaking the law for accepting gifts including F1 tickets and a trip to Doha. He was charged with two crimes.
Mr Ong, 78, who is the managing director of Singapore-listed Hotel Properties, was charged with abetting the procurement of gifts from public servants. He is also charged with obstruction of justice. Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Commercial Affairs Department said on September 24 that the charges “represent two of the charges to which Mr Iswaran has pleaded guilty.”
At a brief hearing in state court on Friday, the charges were read to Ong, who did not enter a plea. The court was adjourned until November 15, but Mr Ong refused to answer questions from the media as he left the courtroom, accompanied by his lawyer and security guards. “Mr Ong is seeking legal advice regarding the charges,” a spokesperson for the tycoon said in an email late Friday. “As this is an ongoing matter, we are unable to provide further details at this time.”
The charges against Ong were announced a day after Iswaran, 62, was sentenced to one year in prison for accepting gifts worth a total of S$403,300 ($311,000). Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of six to seven months in prison, but the judge ordered a longer sentence given the seriousness of the case.
Singapore is known for its commitment to transplant-free government. After Iswaran’s sentencing on Thursday, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said: No one is above scrutiny or above the law. ”
Singapore’s former Minister of Transport, Mr S. Iswaran (right), will appear in Singapore’s High Court on Tuesday, 24 September 2024…(+).
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Mr Ong’s company Singapore GP is the organizer of the F1 night race in the Lion City.
Hotel Properties, which owns Singapore hotels such as the Four Seasons, as well as office buildings and shopping malls, applied on Friday to have its shares traded blocked before the charges against Mr Ong are read out in court. Trading will resume on Monday.
The company said in a regulatory filing late Friday that it believes Mr Ong, who is currently out on bail, will be able to continue carrying out his duties and responsibilities as managing director. “The board and the nominating committee will continue to monitor the progress of this matter, and the nominating committee will continue to re-evaluate the appropriateness of Mr. Ong’s continued appointment,” it added.
In addition to real estate, Ong and his wife Christina also have interests in London-listed handbag maker Mulberry. They are among the city-state’s richest people, with a combined net worth of $1.7 billion, according to Forbes magazine’s list of Singapore’s 50 richest people last month.
