Singapore GP impact revealed as billionaire event owner pleads guilty

Mat Coch 07 Aug 2025 12:00 PM

Singapore GP founder Ong Beng Seng has please guilty to abetting the obstruction of justice.

Singaporean-based billionaire Ong Beng Seng, the man responsible for bringing the Singapore Grand Prix to the city state, has pleaded guilty to abetting obstruction of justice.

Mr Ong made the plea on Monday following his involvement in a travel saga that surrounded ex-transportation minister Subramaniam Iswaran.

Singapore GP’s Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty to abetting obstruction of justice

Mr Ong is the rights holder to the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, an event he brought to Marina Bay in 2008.

He also has an interest in the Hotel Properties Limited, a holding company for a raft of hotels in the United States, Asia, and Europe.

In July 2023, he was arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in connection to an investigation into Mr Iswaran, with charges laid against him in October 2024.

It was alleged that Mr Ong had provided Mr Iswaran with a flight aboard his private jet to Doha in December 2022, along with a night’s accommodation in the Four Seasons and a business class flight back to Singapore.

The accommodation and return to Singapore were both paid for by the Singapore GP.

Under Singaporean law, public servants are not permitted to obtain “any valuable thing, without consideration.”

An investigation by the CPIB into another associate of Mr Ong revealed Mr Iswaran’s name on a flight manifest in May 2023, alerting officials to the alleged offence.

Upon learning of the potential issue, Mr Iswaran requested that Mr Ong invoice him for the flights and accommodation, a request that was complied with.

In arranging to bill Mr Iswaran belatedly, Mr Ong abetted the obstruction of justice regarding Mr Iswaran, with the former transport minister handed a 12-month jail term in October 2023 after pleading guilty to the charges against him.

Mr Ong was charged under Section 204A of Singapore’s penal code, with a second charge for abetting Mr Iswaran to obtain gifts under Section 165 – typically reserved for Singapore public servants – to be taken into consideration.

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Having pleaded guilty, Mr Ong faces a sentencing hearing next week. The maximum sentence for abetment of obstruction of justice is up to seven years in jail, a $30,000 fine, or both.

While a custodial sentence cannot be ruled out, the judge is expected to consider his medical condition and age in determining the eventual outcome.

Mr Ong has been diagnosed with terminal cancer known as multiple myeloma, and is on a cocktail of medicines for a variety of other ailments. The prosecution has acknowledged that a jail sentence could therefore endanger his life.

The prosecution, which initially sought an eight-week jail term for Mr Ong, therefore does not oppose the defence’s application of ‘judicial mercy’ in light of the severity and complexity of his incurable condition.

This refers to the discretion Singapore’s courts have to impose a more lenient sentence than what might typically be expected for the offence.

Though Mr Ong is the rights holder of the Singapore Grand Prix, PlanetF1.com understands his current plight has no impact on the F1 event.

Singapore currently holds a contract through until 2028, with this year’s event set to take place on October 5.

Led by a seasoned management team, the event is slated to carry on without hindrance as Mr Ong is not involved in daily operations.

“We are well on track and remain focused on delivering the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2025 race, another world-class event for our partners and fans,” a spokesperson for the Singapore GP said.

Last year’s Singapore GP attracted a crowd of 269,072 fans across its three days, up 5,000 on the previous year but short of its 2022 record of 302,000.

Those reductions came as capacity was reduced owing to the redevelopment work at The Float at Marina Bay complex – where cars weaved out in front of and then under a grandstand towards the end of the lap – ahead of the 2023 event.