Billionaire Ong Beng Seng plans to plead guilty to one charge related to a case involving a former Singapore minister who was jailed for obtaining gifts from the property tycoon.
Ong, 79, also consented to have a second charge taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing at an April 2 court hearing, according to a statement Friday from Hotel Properties Ltd., where he’s a managing director.
Prosecutors charged Ong in October for abetting ex-transport minister S. Iswaran over two flights and a night’s stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Doha, with a total value of $20,848. Ong was also accused of abetting Iswaran in obstructing the course of justice.
A spokesman for Ong declined earlier to comment on his intention to plead guilty. The tycoon has a net worth of about $1.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He’s out on an extended bail of $800,000.
Hotel Properties said that Ong will stay on as managing director after determining that he “continues to be suitable to carry out his duties and responsibilities.”
