By Lyg 2001 -
A billionaire hotelier based in Singapore has pleaded guilty to a charge linked to a rare and high-profile corruption case that shook the nation last year.
Ong Beng Seng admitted to abetting the obstruction of justice by helping former Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran conceal evidence while he was under investigation for corruption-related offences.
The court heard that Ong had provided Iswaran with lavish gifts, including an all-expenses-paid trip that featured a private jet flight, during a period when the two were involved in official business matters.
Under Singapore’s strict anti-corruption rules, government ministers are prohibited from keeping gifts received in the course of official duties unless they reimburse the government at market value. They are also required to declare any gifts from individuals with whom they have business dealings. Ong initially faced a potential prison sentence of up to two years for aiding a public servant in receiving gifts, while the offence of abetting obstruction of justice carries a maximum sentence of seven years.
However, both the prosecution and Ong’s legal team recommended that a monetary penalty be imposed in lieu of incarceration, citing Ong’s deteriorating health. Prosecutors said the court should show “judicial mercy.”
Ong, who is 79, suffers from a rare form of bone marrow cancer. He had previously received court approval to travel overseas for medical treatment and business obligations.
While prosecutors acknowledged Ong’s role in assisting Iswaran to cover his tracks, they contended that his responsibility in the matter was significantly less than that of Iswaran, who was still serving as a government minister at the time.
Ong’s defense argued that he had merely followed a scheme orchestrated by Iswaran. During Iswaran’s sentencing in October, the court heard how the former minister had instructed Ong to retroactively invoice him for a business-class flight from Doha to Singapore. This request came after Iswaran realized he could be implicated in a separate ongoing investigation, and was attempting to obscure his involvement.
The presiding judge remarked that Iswaran had acted with “deliberation and premeditation” to evade scrutiny.
Ong pleaded guilty on Monday to issuing the backdated invoice for the flight expense, admitting his involvement in the attempted cover-up.
A secondary charge—relating to Ong abetting Iswaran’s acceptance of the full-cost trip to Doha, valued at approximately S$20,850 (US$16,188; £12,194)—was also considered by the court, though not formally pursued.
In December 2022, Ong had extended an invitation to Iswaran to join him on the trip to Qatar, assuring him that all costs—including accommodation and a private jet flight—would be covered. Iswaran agreed to the offer but specified that he needed to return to Singapore on a particular date. Ong arranged for a commercial flight from Doha to Singapore to meet this request.
That flight, valued at about S$5,700, was the one Iswaran ultimately reimbursed Ong’s company for—after learning that Singapore’s anti-corruption agency had launched an unrelated investigation into Ong’s associates, during which flight manifests tied to the Doha trip had been confiscated.
At Iswaran’s urging, Ong arranged for his company, Singapore GP, to issue a formal invoice for the flight expenses after the fact.
Both Ong and Iswaran were arrested in July 2023. Court documents revealed that Iswaran had received gifts from Ong totaling over S$403,000 (US$311,882; £234,586), including luxury flights, hotel stays, musical performances, and Formula One tickets.
At the time of the offences, Iswaran was chairing Singapore’s F1 Steering Committee and served as the lead government negotiator in F1-related matters.
Ong, born in 1946 in what was then British Malaya, relocated to Singapore as a child. He went on to establish Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) in the 1980s, a firm that owns luxury hospitality assets operating under brands such as Four Seasons and Marriott.
He is also credited with playing a key role in bringing the Formula One Grand Prix to Singapore.
In April, HPL announced Ong would step down as managing director in order to focus on “managing his medical conditions.”
Singapore is renowned for its strict governance and high ministerial salaries, which the government has long defended as necessary to deter corruption in public office.
