Former Assistant Superintendent of Police Koh Kian Tiong, a 52-year-old Singaporean, has been sentenced to nine years in jail after being found guilty of a string of corruption offences, including taking bribes from illegal gambling syndicates, refusing to cooperate with anti-corruption investigators, and deserting the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Koh had been on the run for 17 years before authorities finally caught up with him. He was arrested in China, served time there for unrelated crimes, and was repatriated to Singapore in 2024 to face justice for his actions back home.
On top of the prison sentence, Koh was fined SGD 1,000 ($776.42) and ordered to pay a penalty of SGD 47,700 ($37,035), which is the total amount he received in bribes. If he doesn’t pay the amount, he will have to serve an extra 54 days in jail.
Former police officer’s history with illegal online gambling dens in Singapore
According to investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), Koh’s involvement in corruption began in 2005 while he was working in the Secret Societies Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). That was when he developed a relationship with Chua Chin Hoe, who operated several illegal online gambling dens across Singapore.
Between 2006 and 2007, while posted to the Anti-Unlicensed Moneylending Task Force, Koh accepted multiple bribes from Chua in exchange for providing sensitive information about police operations that could help Chua avoid detection.
The bribes Koh received from Chua added up over time and covered a range of personal expenses. Chua gave him SGD 15,000 ($11,647) to help with legal fees from his divorce, another SGD 6,000 ($4,659) in cash, and SGD 25,500 ($19,799) to clear his credit card debts. On top of that, Chua paid around SGD 1,200 ($932) for Koh’s flights and hotel stay in Shanghai. There were also multiple entertainment outings where Chua picked up the tab for drinks, including expensive bottles of alcohol, though the exact amounts weren’t recorded.
Koh also brought along fellow police officers to meet Chua during their nights out, which exposed them to the influence of someone deeply involved in criminal activity.
On the run
In July 2007, when the CPIB started looking into his actions, Koh was on vacation in Shanghai. But instead of returning to Singapore when his leave ended, he ignored repeated calls to come back. Things escalated the following year when CPIB issued an Interpol Red Notice to track him down.
For years, Koh stayed off the radar until 2019, when authorities in China finally arrested him. He was convicted there for unrelated crimes and served a prison sentence. Once that was over, he was sent back to Singapore in April 2024, where CPIB resumed their investigation.
Koh ended up facing 16 charges in total. These included 14 counts of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, one count for failing to comply with CPIB officers, and another for desertion from the police force. As for Chua, he had already been sentenced back in 2012 to four and a half years in jail and fined SGD 20,000 ($15,535) for his role in corruption and illegal gambling.
Under Singaporean law, each corruption offence can result in up to five years in prison and a fine of up to SGD 100,000 ($77,673). Failing to cooperate with CPIB can lead to a year in jail or a SGD 10,000 ($7,768) fine. And desertion from the police force can carry a sentence of up to 10 years and an SGD 5,000 ($3,884) fine.
Featured image: Interpol
