Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was charged in court on Friday with abetting former Singapore transport minister S Iswaran’s offences.
Ong, widely credited for bringing Formula One grand prix racing to the city state, faces one charge of abetting a public servant to obtain valuable gifts and another of obstructing justice.
Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment on Thursday for receiving more than S$400,000 (US$308,518) worth of items from Ong and businessman Lum Kok Seng and obstructing justice.
The court heard on Friday that in December 2022, Ong allegedly instigated Iswaran to obtain a Doha trip with him without consideration.
This involved arranging a flight on his private plane from Singapore to Doha valued at S$10,410, and through Singapore Grand Prix, arranging a one-night stay in Four Seasons Hotel in the Qatari capital worth S$4,737.63 and a business class ticket from the city to Singapore worth S$5,700.
Ong, 78, also owns the rights to the Singapore GP and Iswaran was chairman of the event’s steering committee.