Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng to be charged, say reports

KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore-based Malaysian property tycoon Ong Beng Seng is set to be charged on Friday (Oct 4), according to reports by Singaporean media.

Channel News Asia reported that according to court records, Ong, who is also a hotelier and Singapore GP head, is likely to be charged with one count each of abetting under Section 165, for a public servant obtaining valuables, and Section 204A for obstructing justice.

The news agency reported that court records also indicated that Lim is out on S$800,000 (RM2.6mil) bail.

Ong, 78, was named in the initial graft charges against former Transport minister S. Iswaran, who was on Thursday (Oct 3) sentenced to 12 months jail for abusing his position to accept gifts.

In the initial charges, it was alleged that the then-minister had obtained tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix from Ong, as well as flights and a hotel stay in Doha.

These charges were later amended to lesser charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code for obtaining valuables from someone linked to him in an official capacity.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on Sep 24 to the four charges involving more than S$400,000 in items like flight, football and musical tickets, whisky and wines, as well as one count of obstructing justice by repaying Mr Ong for the Doha-Singapore flight.

In his ruling on Thursday, Justice Vincent Hoong had said Iswaran abused his position by obtaining gifts from Ong despite knowing that the Singapore GP chairman had a close connection to his official duties.