Billionaire property developer, Ong Beng Seng, on Monday admitted to one count of abetting the obstruction of justice, in a high-profile case that culminated in the imprisonment of Singapore’s former transport minister, S. Iswaran, for accepting lavish gifts while in office.
The court was told that Ong, 79, would be spared jail time due to his health condition, as both prosecution and defence called for judicial mercy, a provision allowing courts to impose lighter sentences in cases involving extraordinary mitigating factors.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15.
A second charge of abetting an offence was taken into consideration.
According to the defence, Ong is battling multiple myeloma, a type of incurable blood cancer that compromises his immune system. His lawyers argued that incarceration could severely endanger his life.
The case has captivated public attention in Singapore, a global financial hub that famously pays ministers more than S$1 million ($775,000) annually as a deterrent against corruption, and prides itself on maintaining a reputation for clean and transparent governance.
Investigators found that Ong had tipped off Iswaran during the course of the probe. He revealed that officials had seized a flight manifest listing Iswaran as a passenger on a private jet journey from Singapore to Doha.
In response, Iswaran asked Ong to issue an invoice for the trip via Singapore GP, the organiser of the city-state’s Formula 1 Grand Prix, in an apparent attempt to create a paper trail and reduce the risk of further scrutiny, according to prosecutors.
Iswaran, who served as an adviser to the Singapore Grand Prix’s steering committee, was found guilty of receiving over $300,000 worth of gifts.
In October 2024, he was handed a 12-month prison term for obstruction of justice and graft, the first-ever incarceration of a former cabinet minister in the city-state’s history. He was later moved to house arrest in February.
Among the favours Iswaran received from Ong were VIP access to English Premier League football matches, premium tickets to the Singapore F1 race, invitations to London theatre productions, and travel aboard a private jet.
Ong, who owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix, stepped down as managing director of Hotel Properties Limited, a company listed on the Singapore Exchange, in April.