Ong Beng Seng allowed to leave Singapore for a business trip on an additional $800,000 bail

SINGAPORE – Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng has been allowed to leave Singapore amid ongoing legal proceedings that resulted in him being charged with two charges in early October.

The 78-year-old, who appeared in state court with his attorney Aaron Lee of Allen and Gledhill just before noon Oct. 30, must post an additional $800,000 bail to travel to London, Boston, Gibraltar and Spain for work and medical treatment. .

Ong, who will leave Singapore on October 31, must return by November 9 and surrender his passport within 24 hours.

He must be contacted by the investigating officer while traveling. He is also not allowed to travel with his guarantor.

Ong has already been granted $800,000 bail after appearing in court on October 4 in connection with an investigation involving former Transport Minister S. Iswaran.

The billionaire was charged one count of incitement under Art. 165, which makes it a crime for a public official to accept anything of value from any person with whom he or she interacts in an official capacity, without payment or for improper consideration.

According to court documents, the businessman allegedly persuaded Iswaran to obtain the 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 $7,700 (S$10,400).

Ong also arranged for Iswaran to have a one-night stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha worth $4,737.63 and a business class flight from Doha to Singapore worth $5,700.

Ong was also charged with aiding and abetting obstruction of justice.

He allegedly alerted Iswaran that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had seized the flight manifest for the December 2022 trip, prompting Iswaran to ask the tycoon to bill him for the flight to avoid investigations.

Ong, who is the chairman of Singapore’s Formula One (F1) race organizer, was among a number of people cited by the CPIB in connection with the Iswaran investigation.

He is known as the man who brought F1 to Singapore in 2008 – the first night race in the history of the sport. He owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix.

Iswaran was chairman of the F1 steering committee and chief negotiator with the Singapore GP on business matters relating to the race.

In the mid-2000s, the two men worked to persuade then Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone to make Singapore the site of the sport’s first night race.

Iswaran (62) faced a total of 35 charges, most of which related to Ong. However, the Attorney-General’s Chamber said no additional charges would be brought against Ong in connection with the former minister’s case.

Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison October 3 for, among other things, accepting a number of valuable items from Ong.

On October 4, Ong’s lawyer asked the court for a six-week adjournment of the hearing, saying he needed time to take instructions from his client.

Ong’s next hearing will be on November 15.

If convicted of inciting a government official to obtain gifts, Ong could face up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.

If convicted of aiding and abetting obstruction of justice, he could face up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both.