Reuters :
A Singapore court charged a property billionaire on Friday with obstructing justice and abetting offences, over flights and luxury hotel accommodation given to a disgraced ex-transport minister sentenced to jail the previous day in a major corruption case.
Ong Beng Seng, the 78-year-old owner of Hotel Properties Ltd and rights holder to the Singapore Grand Prix Formula One race, is accused of giving high-value gifts to ex-minister S. Iswaran, who on Thursday became the first former cabinet member to be given a prison sentence in Singapore.
The case has been the subject of major intrigue in Singapore, a wealthy financial hub that offers ministers salaries of more than S$1 million dollars ($771,247) to deter graft and prides itself on its reputation for clean governance.
Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in jail for obstructing justice and improperly receiving gifts as a public servant, with Ong a central part of the prosecution’s case.