HOW EVENTS UNFOLDED
A Singapore-based Malaysian, Ong was arrested alongside Iswaran in July 2023 and released on bail. He is known as the man who brought Formula 1 to Singapore.
No charges were previously filed against him, with the AGC telling the media that it will decide on the investigations against him after Iswaran’s case is completed.
Ong had been named in Iswaran’s charges from the start, when the latter had been first handed 27 charges on Jan 18.
These charges include two of graft under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The other 25 comprised charges under the Penal Code – one under Section 204A, and 24 under Section 165.
The two corruption charges had accused Iswaran of corruptly obtaining gratification from Ong in exchange for advancing the latter’s business interests in the agreement between Singapore GP and the STB, and in a proposal for a contract with STB.
Iswaran supposedly corruptly obtained from Ong Singapore Grand Prix tickets, an outbound flight on his private plane from Singapore to Doha, one night’s stay in Four Seasons Doha and a business class flight from Doha to Singapore. These were collectively worth about S$166,282.
Iswaran’s 24 charges under Section 165 had also been related to Ong. Charge sheets stated that Iswaran obtained about S$218,000 worth of valuable items, including tickets to shows and football matches, from Ong.
Iswaran was charged a second time on Mar 25, this time with eight counts of Section 165 for obtaining valuable items from Mr Lum Kok Seng, the managing director of Singapore-listed Lum Chang Holdings.
Mr Lum has not been charged, and the AGC confirmed in its press release that it will not be pressing charges against him.
On what was supposed to be the first day of Iswaran’s trial, the former minister pleaded guilty instead after the two corruption charges were amended to lesser charges under Section 165, which carries a lower maximum jail term.
Iswaran pleaded guilty on Sep 24 to four charges under Section 165 and one under Section 204A, with the remaining charges taken into consideration for sentencing. Three of the charges Iswaran pleaded guilty to were related to Ong, while two involved Mr Lum.
He was sentenced to a year’s jail on Thursday and is due to surrender at the State Courts to start his prison term on Oct 7 at 4pm.
