Singaporean property tycoon Ong Beng Seng pleaded guilty on Monday to one charge of obstructing justice in a high-profile case that led to the imprisonment of former transport minister Subramaniam Iswaran last year.
Both the prosecution and defence requested judicial mercy due to Ong’s chronic illness, asking the court to impose a fine instead of a jail sentence.
He will be sentenced on 15 August.
A second charge of abetting an offence was taken into consideration.
Judicial mercy in Singapore allows courts to issue more lenient sentences under exceptional circumstances, such as terminal illness or when imprisonment may endanger a person's life.
The defence said Ong suffers from multiple myeloma, a type of incurable blood cancer that leaves him immunocompromised.
According to prosecutors, Ong had informed Iswaran that his associates were questioned and that a private flight manifest bearing Iswaran’s name for a Singapore-to-Doha trip had been seized by anti-graft investigators.
This prompted Iswaran to ask Ong to issue an invoice through Singapore GP, the promoter of the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, to bill him for the trip – a move prosecutors say Iswaran believed would reduce the likelihood of an investigation.
Iswaran, who was jailed for 12 months in October 2024 for obstructing justice and accepting more than $300,000 in gifts, became the first former cabinet minister in Singapore to be imprisoned.
He was placed under house arrest in February to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Ong had also provided Iswaran with tickets to English Premier League matches, the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, London musicals, and a private jet ride, among other favours.
Iswaran served as an adviser to the Singapore Grand Prix’s steering committee, while Ong, 78, holds the rights to the race.
The billionaire stepped down as managing director of Singapore-listed Hotel Properties in April.
Uzbekistan will launch a new digital financial platform from 1 July aimed at simplifying access to finance for entrepreneurs, as part of broader effor...
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching co...
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, ti...
The global race to develop quantum computing is accelerating, with governments and technology firms investing heavily in what is expected to become a ...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know....
Uzbekistan will launch a new digital financial platform from 1 July aimed at simplifying access to finance for entrepreneurs, as part of broader efforts to support small businesses, encourage innovation and accelerate private sector development.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, tighter controls on foreign students and expanded investigative powers for the migration authorities.
The global race to develop quantum computing is accelerating, with governments and technology firms investing heavily in what is expected to become a major new computing era.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
While France hosts next week’s Group of Seven summit, businesses in neighbouring Switzerland have already begun taking precautions, with many shops in Geneva boarded up ahead of a large anti-G7 demonstration expected on Sunday.
Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine successfully challenged his post-race penalties through a Right of Review request with the FIA.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have criticised Britain, France and Germany for leaving them out of talks with Russia about a potential future peace deal for Ukraine.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, tighter controls on foreign students and expanded investigative powers for the migration authorities.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member states have agreed to advance accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, paving the way for the first formal phase of talks to begin on Monday.
European Union countries have agreed to maintain the current three-hour threshold for flight delay compensation in the bloc’s upcoming update to air passenger rights, preserving one of the most recognisable protections for travellers.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment