The billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng charged for abetting

The 78-year old, billionaire and business tycoon Ong Beng Seng, is a Singaporean based Malaysian businessman who owns the Hotel Properties Limited and operates luxury hotels, resorts, and properties in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. He was previously arrested on July 11, 2023 for the allegations of being part of the corruption which involved Singapore’s Transport Minister Iswaran and later released on bail. Again, he is taken into custody by CPIB – Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau under the charges which are already related to the Minister Iswaran’s charges.

The charges which are filed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, against Ong Beng Seng. In total five charges are amended against him, in which two are related to Iswaran. The charges are,

• Abetting a public servant and obtaining the valuables. In brief, he instigated Iswaran to acquire the flight ticket from Singapore to Doha on a private plane which is worth US $7,700.
• During the Singapore GP, acquired a one night stay worth of Singaporean $4,737.63 at Four Seasons Hotel Doha.
• Again the flight ticket which is worth Singaporean $5,700 in a business class.
• It is also reported that he allegedly knew about Ong Beng Seng’s concern in a business transaction for the Singapore Grand Prix from 2022 to 2028 between Singapore GP and Singapore Tourism Board.

“The prosecution will not be tendering charges against Ong for his involvement in the other charges that Iswaran faced. In arriving at this decision, the prosecution considered all the relevant facts and circumstances of the case, including the role Ong played in each of the transactions” said (AGCs) Attorney General’s Chambers in a press release.  

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Christopher Ong, and Deputy Public Prosecutors Kelvin Chong and Sarah Siaw represented the prosecution against Iswaran. Ong left the State Courts shortly after the hearing and his bail was extended which was worth $800,000 Singaporean dollars. The pre-trial for his case will return on November 15.