In a startling turn of events, police officer Poo Tze Chiang, already facing charges of receiving $32,500 in bribes, now finds himself entangled in a more complex legal web.
Recently handed five additional charges, he stands accused of obtaining another $36,000 in bribes from an immigration offender. The intricate case also involves allegations of cheating and deception, according to The Straits Times.
The Allegations
Poo Tze Chiang, aged 46, initially faced charges in November 2022, including seven counts of corruption and three counts of obstruction of justice. However, the plot thickened on January 26, as he was slapped with four more corruption charges and one charge of cheating, bringing the total charges against him to a staggering 15.
The latest charges stem from an alleged scheme involving an immigration offender, Chinese national Chen Guangyun, aged 37. Chen is accused of offering bribes to Poo to influence the outcome of investigations into his Immigration Act offenses. It’s claimed that between July 2019 and October 2019, Poo obtained bribes totaling $18,000 for himself or another unknown police officer from Chen.
Complex Web of Bribes and Deception
The money allegedly served as an inducement for Poo, or the unidentified officer, to assist Chen in minimizing punishment or avoiding prosecution for his immigration-related offenses. The intricate web expands further, with Poo said to have received an additional $18,000 from Chen between August 2019 and January 2020. This time, the funds were purportedly aimed at helping Chen remain in Singapore after being convicted of a criminal offense. Details of this offense remain undisclosed.
Adding another layer to the narrative, in September 2020, Poo allegedly deceived Chen, extracting $10,000 by falsely claiming it was necessary to apply to Singapore government agencies for Chen’s permission to return to the country. Subsequently, Chen was convicted and repatriated to China in May 2020.
Continued Legal Entanglements for Chen
Chen Guangyun’s legal woes did not end with his repatriation. In September 2022, he reentered Singapore without a valid pass, leading to fresh charges under the Immigration Act. Additionally, Chen faces charges of being drunk and incapable in public, as well as assaulting another individual in April 2023 at 525 Serangoon Road.
Poo’s Involvement with Other Individuals
The saga extends beyond Chen, with Poo also alleged to have received bribes totaling $32,500 between 2019 and 2020 from two other individuals, Cordell Chan Yuen Kwang and Wang Huate. These funds were purportedly provided in exchange for information and assistance regarding police investigations against them.
In a concerning incident in August 2020, Poo allegedly misused his authority, flashing his police warrant card to dissuade officers from conducting checks on Chan and Wang.