Police Officer Sentenced To 78 months’ Imprisonment

On 16 August 2024, Poo Tze Chiang (“Poo”) (符志强, 47-year-old male Singaporean), a Police Officer of the Singapore Police Force at the material time, was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a penalty of S$32,500 for corruption and obstructing the course of justice.

First Corruption Offence Relating to Poo’s dealings with Chan and Wang

2. Investigations revealed that on or about 14 September 2019, at a club along Orchard Road, an altercation broke out between members of two rival gangs. Following the altercation, one Wang Huate (“Wang”, 王华特) was arrested. A few days later, Wang’s associate, one Cordell Chan Yuen Kwang (“Chan”), sought assistance from one Ng Chuan Seng (“Ng”, 黄泉胜)¹, as Chan was concerned that the Police would take action against him and Wang for their involvement in the altercation. Ng arranged for Chan and Wang to meet Poo at Ng’s KTV located along Geylang Road. Ng suggested that Chan and Wang could give a “red packet” to Poo for his assistance in “settling” the fighting incident. During their meeting with Poo, Chan and Wang gave Poo a red packet containing S$2,000 in cash.

Further Corruption and Obstruction of Justice Offences Relating to Poo’s dealings with Wang

3. Sometime in February 2020, Wang was remanded by the Police for further investigations. Upon his release, Wang contacted Chan and asked if he could seek Poo’s assistance regarding the Police’s investigations. Poo informed Chan that Wang had to pay him S$20,000 for his assistance. On the night of 22 February 2020, Poo, Chan, and Wang met in a car park along Hillview Rise. At the car park, Wang handed over to Poo a plastic bag containing S$20,000 in cash.

4. On 5 August 2020, Poo called Chan and told him that Wang would be detained by the Police if Wang reported for bail that day. Chan immediately contacted Wang and relayed Poo’s message to Wang. Wang therefore decided not to report for bail to avoid being detained.

5. On the same day, Poo, Chan, and Wang met at a void deck in the vicinity of Bukit Batok. Two Police officers who were patrolling the area approached the trio (Poo, Chan and Wang) to conduct a spot check. Before the two Police officers could conduct the spot check, Poo approached the two Police officers, flashed his warrant card and identified himself as a Police officer from the Secret Societies Branch. Poo then lied to the two Police officers that he was “conducting operations” with the hope to dissuade them from conducting a spot check on Chan and Wang. As a result of Poo’s lies, the two Police officers did not proceed with the spot check on Chan and Wang and left the area.

Further Corruption and Obstruction of Justice Offences Relating to Poo’s dealings with Chan

6. In August 2020, Chan learned that the Police were pursuing him. On 22 August 2020, Chan met Poo and asked Poo for assistance with the Police’s investigations against him. Poo asked for S$10,000 in exchange for his assistance. Chan ultimately agreed to pay Poo a sum of S$7,000. On 22 August 2020, Chan handed over S$5,000 in cash to Poo. Sometime in September 2020, Chan handed over the remaining S$2,000 in cash to Poo.

7. On Poo’s request, between November 2019 and September 2020, Chan also gave Poo loans totalling S$3,500 so that Poo would provide him with assistance regarding Police’s investigations against him.

8. On or about 25 November 2020, Chan parked his car at a car park in Bukit Batok and went with Poo for a meal. After the meal, Poo drove Chan to the car park where Chan’s car had been parked. Poo noticed an unmarked car from the Secret Societies Branch parked in the car park. Knowing that Chan was wanted by the Police, Poo informed Chan that he had seen his colleague’s car and told Chan to alight from his car and head to a nearby coffeeshop. Chan fled the area and was able to evade detection. Some time later, Poo informed Chan that his colleagues were still in the vicinity of the car park. Chan decided not to return to his car and decided instead to take a taxi home to avoid being apprehended by the Police. Had the Police seen Chan at the car park, they would have detained him.

9. In total, Poo corruptly accepted or obtained gratifications in the form of cash and loans amounting to S$32,500, from Chan and Wang. In exchange, he shielded them from Police action on three occasions. Accordingly, Poo was charged on 22 November 2022 with seven counts of corruption and three counts of obstructing the course of justice.

10. Poo was charged on 26 January 2024 with additional counts of corruption and cheating for a separate case involving one Chen Guangyun (陈光云). This case is still before the Courts.

11. Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence under Section 6 of the Prevention of Corruption Act can be fined up to S$100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years or to both. Any person who is convicted of an offence under Section 204A of the Penal Code can be sentenced to imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

12. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) looks into all corruption-related complaints and reports, including anonymous ones, and can be reached via the following channels:

a) Lodge an e-Complaint;
b) Email us at report@cpib.gov.sg; 
c) Call the Duty Officer at 1800-376-0000; or
d) Write to us at the CPIB Headquarters @ 2 Lengkok Bahru, S159047.

13. Where possible, the report should include the following information:

a) Where, when and how did the alleged corrupt act happen?
b) Who was involved and what were their roles?
c) What was the bribe given and the favour shown?

Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau

^{Footnote:
1 | Ng Chuan Seng was earlier sentenced on 4 September 2023 to 5 weeks’ imprisonment for abetting a corruption offence.}