SINGAPORE F1 GRAND PRIX Cards
Iswaran’s relations with Mr. Ong and Mr. Lum in the five proceeded charges were described in the statement of facts by Mr. Tai.
Iswaran was a minister in charge of overseeing the Singapore F1 Grand Prix as a nationwide initiative at all times throughout the crimes.
He was the president of the president’s F1 Steering Committee from 2007 to 2023, except for a period from 2018 to 2021 when he was an adviser.
Mr. Ong owned the majority of Singapore GP.
In the year 2017, Singapore GP deputy president Colin Syn Wai Hung inquired how many cards he needed for the Singapore F1 Grand Prix that month.
This followed an earlier” standing training” from Mr Ong to manage complimentary tickets to Iswaran, Mr Tai said.
Iswaran said that he needed 10 Clean Room tickets, which cost more than S$ 4, 200 each. Mr. Syn obtained the tickets from Mr. Ong’s control over the Singapore GP’s legal allocation of pleasant tickets.
In September 2017, Iswaran received the cards and gave them to friends, relatives, and people he knew. He did not pay for them or give them to the authorities.
Mr. Tai claimed that Iswaran was aware that Mr. Ong was involved in the Singapore GP and STB cooperation agreement and that this was related to his role as chancellor and F1 Steering Committee chair.
QUAD RID AND TRACK Obscuring
Two of the costs are related to a getaway Iswaran took to Qatar in 2022, which Mr. Ong provided with airlines and lodging.
Around Dec 6, 2022, Mr Ong asked Iswaran if he would like to join him for a trip to Qatar, adding that he would look after him, or in other thoughts, take care of all expenditures.
Iswaran accepted the offer and requested an immediate individual leave of absence to travel.
He left for Qatar on Dec 10, 2022, travelling on Ong’s secret flight, and checked into Four Seasons hotel in Doha. He returned to Singapore the following morning on a business class trip that Mr. Ong had requested.
Iswaran did not disclose the costs of his journey to Doha or the hotel stay to the state.
Around May 25, 2023, he paid Singapore GP for the return journey to Singapore, which was related to his command of obstruction of justice.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau ( CPIB ) was looking into a separate case involving Mr. Ong’s associates on May 17, 2023, when it discovered the private jet’s flight manifesto for Iswaran’s December 10, 2022 flight to Doha.
His associates informed him the following morning that CPIB had seized the aircraft manifesto and had interrogated them about the journey.
Mr. Ong contacted Iswaran over the telephone in the days that followed. They exchanged another conversation, and Iswaran requested that Mr. Ong pay him for the journey to Doha. Mr. Ong requested that a producer of Singapore General practice do thus.
On May 24, 2023, the chairman emailed Iswaran’s individual associate the receipt for the journey to Doha. The next day, Iswaran issued a payment for S$ 5, 700 to Singapore GP.
Iswaran knew this, according to Mr. Tai, and this action had the “tendency to impede the course of justice” because it made it less likely that the CPIB would investigate him.
WHISKY, WINE AND A Vehicle
Then, as discussed above, Iswaran’s dealings with Lum Chang Holdings ‘ managing director and Lum Chang Building Contractors ‘ Mr. Lum.
The Land Transport Authority ( LTA ) gave Lum Chang Building Contractors a$ 325 million contract in 2016 for the construction of Tanah Merah Station and other existing viaducts.
Iswaran requested Mr. Lum’s assistance in finding purple wine and vodka in the late 2021. Iswaran asked Mr. Lum to check the status of a bottle of whisky with his ordinary supplier on November 14, 2021, and sent a photo of the drink to him. Mr. Lum promised to test him and respond.
Mr. Lum informed Iswaran on January 7, 2022, that he had purchased two bottles of the vodka in the image and may take it along with a batch of red wine. Iswaran thanked him for acknowledging this.
Mr. Lum made arrangements that fortnight to have 12 bottles of wine and two bottles of whisky delivered to Iswaran, who did not pay for them or give them to the authorities.
Iswaran was aware of Mr. Lum’s involvement in the Lum Chang Building Contractors and LTA deal, which was related to his official role as transport minister at the time.
Mr. Lum even purchased a Brompton T-Line vehicle for S$ 7, 908 for Iswaran as a current for his 60th birthday in June 2022, which the next secretary did not even consider.
Addressing the jury afterwards, the lieutenant attorney-general said there had been media reports of , social office-holders in other countries like the United Kingdom accepting gifts, and this seemed to be” popular training” elsewhere.
However, the method in Singapore was unique and the certificate of such products was not satisfactory, said Mr Tai.