Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Apr 2 

PROPERTY tycoon Ong Beng Seng, 79, has decided to plead guilty to two criminal charges related to his dealings with former transport minister S Iswaran. He will do so on Apr 2, and his bail of S$800,000 has been extended.

The first charge, for abetting an offence under Section 165, 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 then minister there. The flight was worth US$7,700.

Ong also allegedly made arrangements through race promoter 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.

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.

The managing director of Hotel Properties Ltd (HPL) is widely known as the man who brought the annual Formula 1 night race to Singapore in 2008, and owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix.

Ong is unwell and receiving treatment for a rare form of white blood cancer.

His condition, multiple myeloma, is characterised by the abnormal expansion of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow.

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.

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The maximum penalty for obstructing the course of justice is jail time of up to seven years, a fine, or both.