Billionaire Ong Beng Seng fined S$30,000 over Iswaran case; no jail time due to poor health
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Independent Singapore
29 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
President Tharman grants rare clemency to death row inmate in drug trafficking case
SINGAPORE: A prisoner on death row, Tristan Tan Yi Rui, has been granted clemency by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Tan will instead be serving life imprisonment. Reporting on the matter, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) pointed out the rarity of the pardon, adding that it is believed to be the first time since 1998 that Singapore has commuted a sentence of capital punishment. The 33-year-old Tan had been given the death sentence in 2023 after he was convicted of possessing not less than 337.6 grams of methamphetamine for trafficking. SCMP's This Week in Asia published part of a letter dated Aug 14 from the principal private secretary to President Tharman, which read: 'I am directed to refer to the petitions for clemency of Tristan Tan Yi Rui and to inform you that the President, on the advice of the Cabinet, has commuted the death sentence passed on Tristan Tan Yi Rui and ordered that he be imprisoned for life, which sentence of life imprisonment is to commence from 27 September 2018.' See also First death sentence via Zoom in Singapore The Court of Appeal had upheld Tan's conviction and capital sentence, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told CNA that the Cabinet was advised that the sentence was legally sound. The ministry added, however, that due to the specific facts and circumstances of the case, a recommendation had been made to grant Tan clemency. Along with several others, Tan was arrested as part of an operation by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) involving a man known as Hakam, whom the authorities suspected of being involved in drug activities. On the evening of September 27, 2018, Tan drove with another man, Hanis, to an area where they met Hakam, who later rode in Tan's vehicle. Later still, they were met by two riders on motorbikes with Malaysian licence plates, and one of the riders spoke with Hakam. On the same night, police officers from the CNB accosted and arrested Tan and Hanis while the two were still in Tan's car. The officers found a bag with at least 499g of a crystalline substance. When analysed, it was discovered that the substance contained no less than 337.6g of methamphetamine. See also Morning brief: Wuhan coronavirus update for Feb 2, 2020 According to the prosecutors on the case, Tan was aware of the methamphetamine in his possession and that he planned on trafficking it, based on evidence they obtained on mobile phones that were said to belong to him. The defence claimed, however, that Tan had only acted as a driver that night and was unaware of the drugs in the car and the intent to sell them. On his part, Tan explained that he used drugs regularly and that he was at times given drugs for free when he did favours for another man named Hari, including driving for Hari's friends. According to the MHA, another of the people arrested in the operation was tried separately for a capital charge and eventually received a non-capital sentence. 'The Cabinet decided to advise the grant of clemency to Tan to reduce the disparity in their respective outcomes,' CNA quoted the ministry as saying. /TISG Read also: MHA poll shows more people in Singapore agree with implementing death penalty for the most serious crimes
Independent Singapore
29 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
Billionaire walks free: Ong Beng Seng dodges jail in Singapore power scandal
SINGAPORE: Convicted billionaire Ong Beng Seng, the Malaysian tycoon known for bringing Formula One to Singapore, has avoided jail time in a major corruption scandal that has shaken the city-state's reputation. Billionaire avoids prison in corruption case Despite facing a possible seven-year prison sentence under Singapore's Penal Code, Ong was fined S$30,000 (US$23,374) on Friday (Aug 15). A district judge accepted arguments for leniency due to his weak health and unique circumstances. According to the latest Bloomberg report, the 79-year-old pleaded guilty to helping former Transport Minister S. Iswaran obstruct justice during a corruption investigation. Prosecutors revealed that Ong assisted in billing Iswaran for a S$5,700 business class flight while scrutiny was ongoing. The charge arose from a 2022 trip to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which Ong arranged for the former minister. District Judge Lee Lit Cheng stressed that medical evidence showed imprisonment would seriously endanger Ong's life. She pointed out his advanced multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer, along with several serious health issues. 'The circumstances in this case are exceptional and meet the standard for judicial mercy,' she said. Health concerns weigh heavily on sentencing Ong's defence highlighted his declining health, mentioning continuous side effects from medication, a chronic foot wound, and sudden cramps that have weakened his legs. Although the judge had previously questioned Ong's ability to travel to the US and Europe after being charged, his lawyer, Cavinder Bull, explained that the trips were made on Ong's private jet, reducing exposure and risk. Despite these questions, the court sided with the defence. It concluded that even being incarcerated in a medical facility would significantly increase risks to the billionaire's health. Prosecutors initially sought an eight-week jail sentence, but the judge found a fine to be more suitable under the uncommon 'judicial mercy' provision. Empire in question as tycoon steps back The trial's outcome now puts a spotlight on the future of Ong's large business empire. He recently stepped down as managing director of Hotel Properties Ltd., the centrepiece of his holdings, citing health issues. The publicly traded company manages over S$4.5 billion in assets, including key hotels like the Four Seasons Singapore and Concorde New York. See also Court hearing where Ong Beng Seng was set to plead guilty delayed Ong and his wife also own a controlling stake in the British luxury brand Mulberry Group Plc and maintain rights to organise Singapore's Formula One Grand Prix through 2028. Nevertheless, with the disgrace hurting both his reputation and health, ambiguity blurs the future of his business empire. Singapore's legal luminaries and the general public continue to discuss the case's consequences and implications, particularly about equal treatment under the law in one of the world's least crooked nations.
AsiaOne
4 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Johor drivers plan to form association over crackdown by Singapore on cross-border ride-hail services, Malaysia News
Ride-hailing and chartered car drivers in Johor are planning to form an association following the recent crackdown by Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) over illegal cross-border services. Sin Chew Daily reported that the goal of the organisation is to get the attention of Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook towards the drivers' plight. One driver, surnamed Lim, told the Malaysian media outlet that documents had already been submitted to the Registrar of Societies to form the association, and that at least 1,000 of the over 4,000 estimated cross-border drivers in Johor had expressed their support. While agreeing that many drivers do operate cross-border services illegally, Lim highlighted the importance of the service to Johor's tourism industry, and added that drivers were willing to comply with regulations should a pathway be provided for them to offer cross-border rides legally. "Once the cross-border transport service is legalised, then we can negotiate with Singapore," Lim said. "The purpose of forming the association is to gather feedback and collective strength to negotiate with the relevant ministries and accelerate the implementation of favourable and friendly policies." [[nid:721305]] Currently, offenders who illegally provide ride-hailing services may be fined up to $3,000 and/or be jailed for up to six months in Singapore. Their vehicles may also be forfeited. Sin Chew also spoke to a tour operator surnamed Lee, who has been a cross-border driver for 15 years and has been detained by enforcement officers four times since 2017. He said: "We hope that through the association, we can meet with Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Johor Menteri Besar (chief minister) Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi to present our ideas to them." Onn Hafiz previously posted on Facebook on Aug 1 that he had discussed a proposal for cross-border e-hailing services during a meeting with Singapore's Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. But the LTA said that no decision had been made, adding: "While we are open to ideas to improve the cross-border commuting experience, we would like to clarify that LTA has no plan to fully liberalise cross-border point-to-point transport via ride-hail services." Instead, the LTA added that it was exploring ways to enhance its existing cross-border taxi scheme, which allows a licensed fleet of up to 200 taxis from Singapore and Johor Bahru each to ferry passengers between the cities. Singapore-registered vehicles seized in Johor Meanwhile, Johor's Road Transport Department (JPJ) recently announced that it had seized four Singapore-registered vehicles, The Star reported. "The drivers were ferrying tourists from Singapore and other nationalities into Johor during ongoing operations in Johor Bahru starting on Aug 9," said JPJ's director-general Aedy Fadly Ramli. The drivers, who are Singaporeans in their 30s or 40s, did not possess the relevant permit to operate e-hailing services, nor did they have Malaysian road tax or public service vehicle registration, he said. When asked if the seizures were due to LTA's recent crackdown, Aedy Fadly said: "That is the LTA's duty. This is carried out by JPJ with a different modus operandi, not as a reaction to LTA's operations." [[nid:720818]] drimac@
