by VALERIO BARRETTA
Singapore, shadows of corruption on the GP
For the future of the Grand Prix Singapore the local government comes into play. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has dispelled doubts about the race following the corruption scandal involving event promoter NGO Beng Seng and former Transport Minister – and GP consultant – S. Iswaran.
The defense of the government
On Thursday the ministry stated how “the terms of all agreements were carefully considered by the government through an independent consultancy firm. There is currently nothing to suggest that F1 or other contracts have been structured to the Government's disadvantage“.
“All preparations for the 2024 F1 Singapore GP, scheduled for 20-22 September 2024, are underway“, added the note, which then underlined the importance of the tender for the local economy (“It attracted more than 550,000 international visitors and generated approximately $2 billion in incremental tourism revenue, capturing a global audience of more than 1 billion viewers” in 15 years).
S. Iswaran, who recently resigned from his post, has 27 charges against him: he allegedly received bribes from Beng Seng which, according to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) of Singapore, include private plane tickets and tickets for the Singapore GP. Beng Seng, however, has not been accused of any wrongdoing. This and the contract with F1 until 2028 seem to remove the gloomy scenarios over Marina Bay.
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