Singapore billionaire Ong Beng Seng, has avoided jail despite being implicated in a high-profile corruption scandal that shocked the city-state’s reputation for integrity.
At a sentencing hearing today (Thursday), a Singapore district judge fined Ong S$30,000, citing his critical medical condition.
The 79-year-old had pleaded guilty last week to a charge of abetting former Singapore transport minister S Iswaran to obstruct the course of justice. Prosecutors said that in 2023, Ong helped settle a S$5,700 business class ticket bill for Iswaran while authorities were investigating him.
Iswaran was jailed last year for accepting benefits during his time in public office, including tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix, a luxury hotel stay, and other valuable gifts.
Ong’s charge stemmed from a 2022 trip to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals in Doha, to which he had invited Iswaran. Under Singapore’s Penal Code, the offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine.
Prosecutors had sought an eight-week jail term, but his defence argued for a fine instead, citing his advanced multiple myeloma—an incurable cancer that has severely weakened his immune system.
