Ong Beng Seng charged with two offences linked to Iswaran probe

Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was charged on Oct 4 with abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and with abetting the obstruction of justice.

- Samuel Devaraj and Wong Shiying

The two charges are linked to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau's (CPIB) investigations into former transport minister S. Iswaran, who was sentenced to 12 months' jail on Oct 3 for, among other things, accepting a number of valuable items from Ong.

Iswaran was also accused of accepting valuable items from Mr David Lum Kok Seng, the managing director of mainboard-listed construction company Lum Chang Holdings. But no charges will be brought against Mr Lum, said the Attorney-General's (AGC) on Oct 4.

Chambers According to court documents, Ong, 78, allegedly instigated Iswaran to obtain a valuable item in December 2022 by offering the then minister a trip from Singapore to Doha. The flight on Ong's private plane was valued at US$7,700 (S$10,400).

Ong also arranged a one-night stay in Four Seasons Hotel Doha with a value of $4,737.63; and a business class flight from Doha to Singapore, valued at $5,700, for Iswaran.

For this, Ong was charged with one count of abetment under Section 165, which makes it an offence for a public servant to accept anything of value from any person with whom he is involved in an official capacity without payment or with inadequate payment.