Police Officer Took $36K Bribe Found Guilty

A former police officer, previously jailed for corruption, has been convicted of more corruption charges. Station Inspector Poo Tze Chiang, 47, was found guilty on February 28 of soliciting and receiving S$36,000 in bribes from Chen Guangyun, 39, in exchange for helping him avoid prosecution for immigration-related offenses. Poo is currently interdicted from the police force.

Chen, a Chinese national, first entered Singapore in 2014 but overstayed illegally. He was convicted in 2017 and sentenced to six months in jail and three strokes of the cane before being deported and banned from returning. However, he re-entered Singapore illegally by boat and was arrested in June 2019.

Poo met Chen at a drinking session in 2019 and later claimed he could help reduce Chen’s charges or allow him to remain in Singapore. Desperate to stay in the country, Chen paid Poo in hopes of securing leniency. Poo even told Chen that his "boss" needed money to make the charges disappear. However, Poo failed to deliver on his promises, and Chen was convicted and deported again in May 2020.

Even after Chen was sent back to China, Poo continued soliciting money, promising to assist him in returning to Singapore. Chen arranged for a friend to transfer more money to Poo, but no evidence showed Poo made any real effort to help him.

In 2021, while still in China, Chen learned that Poo was under investigation for corruption. He contacted the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and admitted in writing that he had paid Poo a total of S$36,000 in bribes. However, Chen remained eager to work in Singapore and illegally returned in September 2022.

His presence in the country went unnoticed until he was involved in a fight in April 2023. After his arrest, he was handed over to immigration authorities.

Both Poo and Chen denied the charges in court but chose to remain silent when called to testify. Prosecutors argued that their silence indicated guilt, and the court agreed. District Judge John Ng ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted both men.

Their sentencing is scheduled for April 3. Poo still faces additional charges of cheating, while Chen faces further charges related to his fight and immigration violations.

Poo had already been sentenced in August 2024 to 78 months in jail and ordered to pay a S$32,500 penalty for accepting bribes in exchange for protecting individuals from police action.

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