SINGAPORE — Tycoon Ong Beng Seng returned to Singapore from Bali on a private jet on Monday (July 17) afternoon after being allowed to travel overseas while on bail over his role in a corruption probe.
The plane landed at Seletar Airport at about 5.15pm.
Ong, who was dressed in a polo shirt, jeans and sandals, was ushered into a black Audi sedan, which then sped off at around 5.30pm. He was accompanied by his wife, Christina Ong, when he boarded the car.
Airport security personnel did not allow reporters to get close to the Seletar Business Aviation Centre from which Ong was seen emerging, saying there was a private event going on.
Ong left for Bali last Friday.
News broke that day that he and Transport Minister S. Iswaran had been arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) last Tuesday over a case the anti-graft body had uncovered.
CPIB did not give details on the nature of the probe.
Both men were released on bail and Iswaran has had his passport impounded.
Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) said in a statement to the Singapore Exchange last Friday that no charges have been filed against Ong, 77, who is the founder and managing director of the company.
HPL, which owns brands such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, added that Ong is cooperating with CPIB to provide information in relation to his interactions with Iswaran.
The company also said Ong was travelling from July 14 after he posted bail of $100,000 and would be surrendering his passport to CPIB when he returned to Singapore.
Iswaran, 61, was instructed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to take leave of absence until the investigation was completed, the Prime Minister's Office said last Wednesday.
He will remain in Singapore during this period and will have no access to any official resources and government buildings.
Ong is known as the man who brought Formula One to Singapore. He is chairman of Singapore GP, which organises the F1 night race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit annually.
In the mid-2000s, Iswaran, as then junior trade minister, and Ong convinced then Formula One Group chief executive Bernie Ecclestone to make Singapore the venue for the sport's first night race, starting in 2008.
Iswaran reportedly knew Ong from his previous career as a bureaucrat and top executive at investment firm Temasek.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.