SINGAPORE: A police officer who took bribes and obstructed investigations was sentenced on Friday ( Aug 16 ) to 78 months ‘ jail and ordered to pay a penalty of S$ 32, 500 ( US$ 24, 600 ).
Poo Tze Chiang was initially indicted in 2022 on seven counts of bribery and three of obstructing the course of justice.
In January, he was given four new corruption charges, of which one cost is amalgamated, as well as an extra cost of cheating and fraudulently inducing a supply of property.  ,
According to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau ( CPIB ), Poo was found to have fraudulently accepted or obtained gratifications in the form of loans and cash worth S$ 32,500 from Wang Huate and Cordell Chan Yuen Kwang.
CPIB added that Poo had also protected the pair from officers action on three occasions.
Following an encounter between members of two rival groups at a club along Orchard Road, Wang was detained on or about September 14, 2019.
Wang’s interact Chan, who was concerned that the police would punish them for their part in the encounter, turned to a man by the name of Ng Chuan Seng for assistance a few days later.
Ng arranged for Chan and Wang to join Poo at Ng’s KTV at Geylang Road, suggesting that the trio give a “red bag” to Poo for his support in” settling” the fighting affair, said CPIB.
Afterwards, Chan and Wang presented Poo with a red packet containing S$ 2,000 in cash.
In February 2020, Wang was remanded by the authorities for further inspection, and upon his release he contacted Chan to get Poo’s support in dealing with police investigations.
Poo requested S$ 20,000 for his assistance, and the trio met at a parking lot along Hillview Rise, where the money was presented in cash in a plastic bag.
Poo called Chan on August 5 that year to let him know Wang may be detained by the police if he requested parole that evening. Chan instantly relayed Poo’s information to Wang, allowing him to avoid confinement.
The pair met later that day at a hole board in the vicinity of Bukit Batok, where two roaming police officers would approach them while conducting a place check.
Poo, however, flashed his warrant passport and claimed to be” conducting businesses” by posing as a police officer from the Secret Societies Branch. The two police officers left the area as a result of Poo’s sits and did not carry out the area test.
Chan requested Poo’s guidance on August 22 because he already realized that the police were following him that month.
Poo asked for S$ 10, 000, though Chan finally agreed to pay him S$ 7, 000. Chan handed over S$ 5, 000 in income to Poo, with the remaining S$ 2, 000 handed over in September.
On November 25, Chan and Poo met up at a Bukit Batok carpark and parked his car there for a dinner. Poo was returning Chan to his car after the dinner when he came across an unknown vehicles from the Key Societies Branch in the parking lot.
Knowing that Chan was wanted by officers, Poo informed him about his friend’s vehicle and told him to arrive and head to a local cafe, allowing him to escape detection.
Poo informed Chan that his coworkers were also close to the carpark a while later. Finally, Chan decided not to returning to his vehicle and instead took a taxi home.
” Had the police seen Chan at the car park, they may have detained him”, CPIB said.
He was charged in 2022, and he was later charged with more matters of fraud and cheating in a separate case involving one Chen Guangyun. This situation is still pending in court.
Ng Chuan Seng, the owner of a music club, was given a five-week prison sentence in September 2023 for bribe-taking Poo.  ,
Poo was removed from infantry jobs, according to the police’s report from 2022. CNA has contacted the police to get an update on his position as an agent.
” Singapore adopts a tight zero-tolerance view towards corruption”, said CPIB.
Those found guilty of fraud face fines of up to S$ 100,000 or sentences to five years of imprisonment, or both.
Those found guilty of obstructing the righteousness system face jail time, fines, or both.