SINGAPORE: A pre-trial conference set for the case of property tycoon Ong Beng Seng has been rescheduled to next week, after a request was made to push it back.
The 79-year-old Malaysian, known for bringing Formula 1 to Singapore in 2008, was first charged with two offences in October 2024. These correspond to two charges admitted to by former transport minister S Iswaran.
Ong was set to have the hearing on Wednesday morning (Jul 23) but that has been shifted to Jul 28. According to court records, a request was made to reschedule the court event and it was approved.
It was not indicated who made the request. CNA has contacted Ong’s PR firm and the Attorney-General’s Chambers for more information.
The latest development comes after a pre-trial conference on Jul 8 resulted in another adjournment for “parties to file revised papers”, following a statement from the judiciary that both sides wished to file further submissions on sentencing.
A pre-trial conference is a hearing before a judge away from the public and media, where both sides discuss administrative matters.
This can be any issue that needs to be ironed out before going to open court, and does not always mean a trial is going to take place despite the name. It is not uncommon for a case to go through many rounds of pre-trial conferences before going to open court for a guilty plea or trial.
Ong faces two charges, first for abetting Iswaran in obstructing the course of justice by helping the latter pay S$5,700 (US$4,480) to Singapore GP for a business class flight ticket from Doha to Singapore.
This was a delayed payment allegedly made months after the flight itself and only after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) discovered Iswaran’s name on the flight manifest when investigating a separate case.
The second charge is for instigating Iswaran to obtain flights and a hotel stay from Ong. This was when Iswaran knew Ong had business dealings linked with his official functions.
Ong was previously set to plead guilty on Jul 3.
Ong was the managing director of Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), which previously stated in a Singapore Exchange (SGX) announcement that Ong would plead guilty to the charge of obstructing justice, while admitting to have the other charge taken into consideration for sentencing.
He stepped down on Apr 29 for medical reasons, the company said.
If convicted of the charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code for abetting Iswaran in obtaining valuables, Ong could face a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.
If convicted of obstructing justice, the charge under Section 204A, Ong could face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.
Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months’ jail in October 2024.
