SINGAPORE, March 26 — Singapore-based Malaysian billionaire property tycoon Ong Beng Seng will plead guilty at a later date in the case tied to former transport minister S. Iswaran, after his lawyers requested more time to obtain medical reports.

According to The Straits Times, the 79-year-old had been scheduled to plead guilty on April 2 to a charge of abetting the obstruction of justice.

However, his legal team sought additional time at a pre-trial conference on March 26 to gather detailed reports on his medical condition and ongoing treatment, the report published today added.

A spokesman for Ong said the extension was necessary to ensure that all relevant medical information could be presented to the prosecution and court.

“As such, the plead guilty mention, which was earlier fixed on April 2, will be moved to a later date — to be fixed once the medical reports are obtained,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.

Ong, represented by a legal team including Aaron Lee from Allen & Gledhill, was charged on October 4, 2024. He faces one count of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and one count of abetting the obstruction of justice.

According to court documents, Ong allegedly instigated Iswaran in December 2022 to accept a private jet flight from Singapore to Doha worth US$7,700 (RM34,000), a one-night stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha valued at S$4,737.63, and a business-class flight from Doha to Singapore worth S$5,700.

He also allegedly warned Iswaran that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had seized the flight manifest, prompting the former minister to request an invoice to avoid scrutiny.

In a February 28 announcement to the Singapore Exchange, Hotel Properties Limited stated that Ong intends to plead guilty to the obstruction charge, with the other charge to be considered for sentencing.

Ong, a key figure in bringing Formula One to Singapore in 2008, was among several individuals questioned in the CPIB probe into Iswaran. The former minister was sentenced to 12 months’ jail on October 3 for offences linked to Ong.

If convicted of abetting the obstruction of justice, Ong could face up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.