Man helped to give red packet containing $2,000 bribe to cop
A nightspot owner arranged a meeting between two men and a police station inspector from the Secret Societies Branch before helping the pair pass a red packet containing a $2,000 bribe to the officer.
At the time of the offence, Ng Chuan Seng, 52, owned a KTV pub in Geylang Road that was registered under a company called B1 Entertainment.
Ng, who is no longer a director and shareholder at the firm, was sentenced to five weeks’ jail on Monday after he pleaded guilty to an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
He was also fined $1,500 over an unrelated offence of failing to maintain proper record of the personal particulars of all employees working at the nightspot, which had been marketed under different names, including Kiss KTV and Pegasus.
According to court documents, Poo Tze Chiang, 46, accepted the bribe as an inducement to help “settle” police investigations into a fight between rival gangs.
The policeman has been suspended since Dec 7, 2020, and his case is pending.
Ng got to know Poo, who was his police supervision officer when Ng was previously released from prison in 2013 over an offence that was not disclosed in court documents.
Deputy Public Prosecutor David Menon said that Poo later frequented the KTV pub.
In September 2019, one of Ng’s associates, identified in court documents as A1, reached out to Ng, stating that he had been involved in a fight between two rival gangs.
A1 was also concerned that he and another man, identified as A2, would be implicated in an ensuing police investigation.
DPP Menon told the court: “A1 knew that Poo was a police officer and hoped that Poo could help ‘settle’ the police investigation. (Ng) arranged for A1 and A2 to meet Poo at the KTV pub.
“Just before meeting with Poo in a room in the KTV pub, A1 and A2 asked (Ng) whether Poo expected a red packet in exchange for his assistance.”
Ng replied that it was up to them, but he suggested a figure of between $1,000 and $2,000. He then brought Poo into the room to meet A1 and A2.
Soon after, A1 asked for a red packet from Ng, who handed one to him. A1 and A2 placed $2,000 in cash inside the packet before A1 passed it to Ng.
DPP Menon said that Ng handed the red packet to Poo, who accepted it.
The cases involving A1 and A2 are still under investigation.
Separately, police officers from the Compliance Management Unit conducted a check on the KTV pub at around 10.30pm on June 14, 2022 and found out that the staff register did not contain the personal particulars of seven employees.
They included three managers and a waitress.
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