Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng has pleaded guilty on Monday (Aug 4) to abetting the obstruction of justice in a case linked to former transport minister S. Iswaran.

A second charge for instigating Mr Iswaran to obtain flights and a hotel stay from Ong will be taken into consideration during sentencing, which has been adjourned to Aug 15.

Both the prosecution and defence called for the court to exercise judicial mercy and impose only a fine, as Ong has advanced multiple myeloma, which is an incurable cancer.

So what exactly did Ong admit to? What sentence awaits him on Aug 15?

And more importantly, what does this case say about accountability, discretion, and Singapore’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Associate Professor Mervyn Cheong, Deputy Director, Centre for Pro Bono and Clinical Legal Education, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, to find out more.