Corruption: Singapore’s Transport Minister S Easwaran has been released on bail after his arrest. He was arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), the country’s anti-corruption body. His passport has been confiscated. Besides S Easwaran, Ong Beng Seng, a billionaire hotelier, was arrested. Ong has also been released.
Ong is the founder and managing director of Hotel Properties Limited. They own many high-end hotels and resorts in Asia and the Pacific.
Ishwaran arrested in corruption case
Singapore’s Transport Minister S Easwaran is a member of the ruling People’s Action Party. He was first elected as MP from West Coast GRC in 1997. Easwaran remained actively involved in government activities along with Formula One racing with businessman Ong. He was arrested in a corruption case.
The agency said – the minister is cooperating in the investigation
The CPIB said the minister is currently cooperating with the ongoing investigation. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ordered Easwaran to go on leave earlier in the week. Lee said the anti-corruption body had sought his approval for a formal investigation that would include questioning Easwaran and others.
Ong gets permission to go abroad, bail amount increased
In Singapore, the passports of the accused are confiscated as part of the bail conditions. If you want to go out of the country, you have to apply. In a filing to the Singapore Exchange on Friday, the company said Ong was served an arrest notice by the CPIB and sought bail. Ong was allowed to leave Singapore on Friday. He had requested to go on a foreign trip. But his bail amount has been increased to one lakh Singapore dollars. Earlier this amount was 76 thousand Singapore dollars. On his return, Ong will have to report to the CPIB and surrender his passport.
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