Ong Beng Seng's pre-trial conference rescheduled to Jul 28
Checks by The Business Times showed that a request to reschedule the pre-trial conference to Jul 28 was approved by the court.
Court hearings can be rescheduled for various reasons including scheduling conflicts or more time required by parties to submit or compile documents.
BT has contacted the State Courts for more details.
Previously, an Attorney-General's Chambers spokesperson said Ong's further mention for a guilty plea 'will be refixed for a later date'. This was after Ong, who was initially expected to plead guilty on Jul 3, had his court hearing adjourned.
Ong, former managing director of Hotel Properties Ltd, is widely known for bringing the Formula 1 night race to Singapore in 2008. He owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix (GP).
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He faces one charge of abetting offences under Section 165 of the Penal Code – which forbids public servants from accepting gifts from people involved with them in an official capacity – and one charge of abetting the obstruction of justice.
The first charge, for abetting an offence under Section 165, relates to flights and a hotel stay. Ong allegedly offered Iswaran a trip to Doha in December 2022, and arranged for his private jet to fly him there. The flight was worth US$7,700.
The second charge was for allegedly instructing Singapore GP director Mok Chee Liang, in May 2023, to bill Iswaran for the business-class ticket from Doha to Singapore – an action that would have obstructed the course of justice.
Those found guilty of offences under Section 165 can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both. Abetting an offence would result in the same punishment, if the offence is committed as a consequence of the abetment.
The maximum penalty for obstructing the course of justice is jail time of up to seven years, a fine, or both.
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