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SINGAPORE: Within the wake of the fees filed towards former Transport Minister S Iswaran, questions have arisen regarding whether or not fees may even be filed towards billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng, on condition that the 27 fees towards Mr Iswaran are linked to alleged dealings with Mr Ong and his corporations.
Authorized consultants who spoke to CNA have stated that it might take time to carry fees towards Mr Ong for quite a few causes.
The previous Transport Minister is claimed to have accepted from Mr Ong “beneficial issues” value greater than S$384,000 between November 2015 and December 2022, together with F1 tickets value S$347,152.10, tickets to performs and musicals value S$10,693.91, Flights and lodging value S$20,848.03, and tickets to soccer matches value S$5,646.94.
Learn additionally: Iswaran allegedly acquired gadgets value over S$384K from Ong Beng Seng, together with personal jet flight, musical tickets
Mr Ong is finest recognized for bringing F1 to the nation, launching the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008. Being a pal of F1 boss Bernie Eccleston, Mr Ong helped seal the deal in 2007 that introduced the race to Singapore.
An article by Reuters from March 2007 reported that Mr Ong had met with Bernie Ecclestone, the previous chief government of System One Group, that 12 months to debate the occasion launch in Singapore.
The article famous that Mr Ong had connections with Mr Iswaran, who was beforehand the managing director at Temasek from 2003 to 2006.
Furthermore, because the Minister of State for Commerce and Business in 2007, Mr Iswaran collaborated intently with Mr Ong to introduce the F1 Grand Prix in Singapore.
“Over the previous decade, we now have developed a robust partnership with Mr Ong Beng Seng and his workforce at Singapore GP, in addition to Mr Bernie Ecclestone and System 1, to repeatedly improve the Singapore race and maintain its tourism enchantment and financial worth,” Right this moment quoted Mr Iswaran as saying throughout a speech in 2017 when he introduced the extension of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix from 2018 to 2021.
On Jan 18, a spokesperson for the Lawyer-Common’s Chambers stated that the authority would take a choice “in respect of the investigations towards Mr Ong and others” after the case towards Mr Iswaran “has been accomplished, together with the presentation of proof in court docket.”
This isn’t the primary time the high-profile hotelier has been a part of a authorities investigation. In 1995, his firm, Resort Properties Ltd (HPL), supplied reductions to founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and then-deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for luxurious properties on Nassim Highway. The Lees have been cleared of wrongdoing, as was Mr Ong.
Learn additionally: Ong Beng Seng arrested for Iswaran-linked CPIB probe, is out on bail for $100K
July 11, 2023 arrests
In July of final 12 months, at across the similar time that an investigation was launched towards Mr Iswaran by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), Mr Ong was requested to offer data on the probe.
Mr Ong was issued a discover of arrest and posted bail of S$100,000. As he was overseas on the time, he surrendered his passport to CPIB upon returning to Singapore. An announcement issued by HPL stated that he was cooperating totally with the investigations.
Mr Iswaran was arrested on Jul 11, 2023, and was launched on bail. He was charged on Jan 18, 2024, and has claimed trial, pleading innocence.
Learn additionally: S Iswaran rejects corruption fees, plans to clear his identify
It might take years
Authorized consultants who’ve spoken to CNA have stated that the matter of bringing fees to anybody is beneath the discretion of prosecutors and will take time.
Mr Alexander Woon, a regulation lecturer on the Singapore College of Social Sciences and a former deputy public prosecutor, informed CNA that investigations could also be prolonged, notably in complicated white-collar circumstances that would take years.
However he added that “the prosecution is obliged to behave within the public curiosity,” which might exhibit that justice is being carried out.
There are different causes for a delay in bringing fees towards a selected get together. Farallon Regulation’s managing director, Nicolas Tang, informed CNA that in some circumstances, people whose fees are nonetheless pending might find yourself serving to to convict the individual already charged.
Moreover, specializing in one accused individual at a time might assist the AGC’s case extra, stated Affiliate Professor Mervyn Cheong from the Nationwide College of Singapore (NUS).
“If extra events are concerned, it might trigger the case and trial to turn out to be unnecessarily sophisticated,” he added. /TISG
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