SINGAPORE - A police assistant superintendent with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who had financial problems obtained monetary bribes totalling $47,700 from a man notorious for operating several illegal gambling dens across Singapore.

In exchange, Koh Kian Tiong, alias Mark Koh, who is no longer a police officer, provided the man with information about CID operations that could affect the latter’s criminal activities.

After almost 17 years on the run, Koh, 52, pleaded guilty on May 21 to five counts of graft involving cash totalling $31,000 and one count of desertion under the Police Force Act.

Ten other graft charges linked to the remaining $16,700 will be considered during his sentencing.

He had obtained the monetary benefits and free entertainment between January 2006 and May 2007.

Koh was on leave in China in 2007 when he found out that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had started an investigation into his dealings with the man, Chua Chin Hoe.

Fearing that he would be implicated, Koh decided not to return to Singapore and remained in China. An Interpol red notice was then issued against him.

Once such a notice is issued, the police in other countries can be on the lookout for foreign offenders. The red notice can then be used to support extradition proceedings after an arrest is made.

Koh was later jailed in China over unrelated offences, the details of which were not disclosed in court documents.

Following his release from jail in China, he was sent back to Singapore and arrested at Changi Airport on April 28, 2024.

Several other people linked to the case, including Chua, were dealt with in court earlier.

Koh had introduced Chua to at least five other police officers attached to CID, all of whom received free entertainment and alcohol from Chua.

Koh joined the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1998.

When he became acquainted with Chua in 2005, he was an officer commanding with CID’s Anti-Unlicensed Money Lending Task Force, with a team of subordinates reporting to him.

Towards the end of that year, Koh was in the midst of divorce proceedings and was struggling to pay his legal bills.

He approached a colleague, an officer from the Secret Societies Branch (SSB) and asked for a loan of $15,000.

When the colleague replied that he could not afford to give the loan, Koh asked the officer to check if Chua, referred to in court documents as “Ah Hoe”, could provide the loan instead.

Deputy Public Prosecutor David Menon said: “The accused relayed this request to Ah Hoe through (the SSB officer who) was better acquainted with Ah Hoe at the time. Ah Hoe agreed to give the accused $15,000 to cover the legal bills arising from the accused’s divorce proceedings.”

On or around Jan 21, 2006, Kho went to Geylang to meet Chua, who handed him the money. 

Chua gave the bribe so that Koh would show favour to him in future police-related matters. No repayment terms were discussed, and Koh did not repay the $15,000.

In September 2006, Koh reached out to Chua directly and asked for his help to settle some credit card bills. Chua handed him $16,000 later that year and Koh did not repay the amount.

Throughout 2006, Koh also frequented various bars with Chua, who always paid for the drinks and also occasionally paid the tips for hostesses and singers.

Eventually, Koh began inviting other CID officers to attend the drinking sessions with Chua, who would pay for the drinks for all the officers.

Based on Chua’s bank statements, he paid at least $27,000 in entertainment expenses relating to these drinking sessions in 2006 alone.

On May 21, DPP Menon asked the court to sentence Koh to between nine and 11 years’ jail, with penalties linked to the bribes he had obtained.

Stressing that Koh had held a “very senior rank” in the police force, the prosecutor added: “SPF suffered some actual harm, as corruption was allowed to spread through its ranks and multiple officers were made beholden to Ah Hoe.

“This compromised SPF operations (as) several officers, including the accused, gave Ah Hoe tip-offs regarding impending CID raids.”

In Koh’s mitigation, Mr Muhammad Taufiq Suraidi from the Public Defender’s Office told the court that Koh has no more savings and can never pay the proposed penalties.

Koh will be sentenced on May 26.

Asia News Network/The Straits Times