Singapore property tycoon linked to jailed minister fined S$30,000
Ong, the 79-year-old founder of Hotel Properties Ltd (HPPS.SI) and rights holder to the Singapore Grand Prix, was accused of giving Iswaran, who was an adviser to the Grand Prix's steering committee, high-value gifts including tickets to the Formula One race, English Premier League soccer matches, and West End musicals.
Ong last week pleaded guilty to one charge of abetting the obstruction of justice after arranging to bill Iswaran for a flight ticket months after it had taken place.
A second charge of abetting an offence was also taken into consideration by the court.
The S$30,000 was the maximum fine the court could impose. Ong, who was given a fine in lieu of three months' jail, stepped down as managing director of HPL in April.
The case has attracted widespread public interest in Singapore, a wealthy financial hub that pays ministers salaries of more than S$1 million that it says are needed to deter graft and prides itself on its reputation for clean governance.
At last week's hearing, the prosecution and defense agreed that because Ong was in poor health with advanced cancer he could be granted judicial mercy, which meant the court could impose a more lenient than normal punishment.
In a written judgment, District Judge Lee Lit Cheng wrote: 'The critical question is not whether an offender may receive a lower standard of healthcare in prison, but whether imprisonment would create heightened risks to the offender's life.
'I am satisfied that the circumstances in this case are exceptional and meet the high threshold for the grant of judicial mercy.'
Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months in prison last October, the first time a former cabinet member had been jailed in Singapore. He had faced a total of 35 charges, two of which were corruption-related but were amended to charges of receiving S$384,340 worth of gifts from Ong while a public servant.
In February, Iswaran was granted house arrest for the remainder of his sentence.
($1 = 1.2831 Singapore dollars)
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