Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng granted leave amid legal troubles

SINGAPORE: In a significant development, property tycoon Ong Beng Seng has been granted permission to leave Singapore during ongoing court proceedings, where he faces serious charges.

On an S$800,000 bail

According to the Business Times, the 78-year-old businessman appeared in the State Courts with his lawyer on Thursday, securing approval for a work-related trip that will take him to London, Boston, Gibraltar, and Spain. However, he must post an additional bail of S$800,000 for this travel.

Ong had previously been released on S$800,000 bail following a court appearance on October 4, stemming from a criminal investigation involving former transport minister S. Iswaran.

He faces charges including abetment under Section 165, which prohibits public servants from accepting gifts of value from individuals with whom they have official dealings without proper payment.

Court documents reveal that Ong allegedly encouraged Iswaran to accept a lavish trip in December 2022, offering him a flight from Singapore to Doha aboard Ong’s private plane, valued at US$7,700.

The arrangement also included a one-night stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha, costing S$4,737.63, and a business-class return flight from Doha to Singapore, priced at S$5,700.

Other charges

In addition to these charges, Ong is also accused of obstructing justice by allegedly warning Iswaran that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had seized the flight manifest from their trip, leading Iswaran to request that Ong bill him for the flight to evade investigation.

Ong, who is the chairman of the Formula One race promoter Singapore GP, has been embroiled in a high-profile corruption probe involving Iswaran, who was sentenced to 12 months in prison earlier this month for accepting valuable gifts from Ong.

Collaborators

The duo has a long history together, having collaborated in the mid-2000s to secure Singapore as the venue for Formula One’s first-ever night race, which debuted in 2008.

While Ong is currently not facing any additional charges related to Iswaran, if convicted of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, he could face up to two years in prison, fines, or both. For the charge of obstructing justice, he could be imprisoned for up to seven years, fined, or face both penalties.

Ong is scheduled to return to court on November 15, as he navigates this high-stakes legal battle.