River Valley High principal assisting in CPIB probe

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

River Valley High principal assisting in CPIB probe

Posted: 19 December 2012 1838 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has redeployed the principal of River Valley High School Mr Steven Koh Yong Chiah.

This comes after MOE received information by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) that Mr Koh is assisting in its investigations.

MOE has appointed Mrs Teo Khin Hiang as the new principal of River Valley High, with effect from 20 December 2012.

Mrs Teo, 54, is an experienced senior education officer.

She was the deputy director of the Programme Coordination Office in MOE HQ, and previously the principal of the Singapore Teachers' Academy for the Arts (STAR).

Prior to her stint at STAR, she had held appointments as cluster superintendent and principal of three schools - Chua Chu Kang Secondary, Pasir Ris Crest Secondary and Commonwealth Secondary.

A ministry spokesperson said MOE will work closely with Mrs Teo and her team at River Valley High to ensure that school activities and programmes continue to be carried out smoothly in the best interests of the students.

MOE will be redeploying Mr Steven Koh to MOE HQ as principal (special projects).

The spokesperson added that MOE is unable to comment further on the case, as investigations are ongoing.

- CNA/ir

 

[AntiPAPunk]

Principal of River Valley High in corruption probe
AFP | Thu Dec 20 2012

The principal of a top Singapore high school was Thursday removed from his post and being investigated by the anti-corruption bureau, authorities told AFP, in the latest such scandal to hit the city-state.

Former headmaster of River Valley High School Steven Koh Yong Chiah, 58, was replaced "with effect from 20 December 2012", the education ministry said in a statement emailed to AFP. It said Koh had been redeployed while the investigation was underway.

"The Ministry of Education has been informed by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau that Mr Steven Koh Yong Chiah, principal of River Valley High School, is assisting in its investigation," the statement read.

"As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to comment further on the case," it said.

Corruption scandals have this year claimed the scalps of top officials in Singapore, with an ex-top policeman and former civil defence chief currently facing sex-for-favours charges in court.

A law professor in a local university has also been accused by authorities of awarding favorable grades to one of his female students in exchange for sex and gifts.

Large-scale graft cases are rare in Singapore, a thriving global financial centre and business hub which enjoys a reputation for being the least corrupt country in Asia.

 

[AntiPAPunk]

SINGAPORE - Mr Steven Koh Yong Chiah will be redeployed to the Ministry's HQ as Principal (Special Projects), said MOE in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[AntiPAPunk]

River Valley High principal replaced while under CPIB investigations

December 19, 2012 - 11:34pm

By: Elizabeth Law

PICTURE: LIANHE ZAOBAO

The principal of a prestigious school is assisting the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau with investigations, the Ministry of Education (MOE) revealed in a statement yesterday.

River Valley High School principal, Mr Steven Koh Yong Chiah, has been re-deployed to MOE headquarters as Principal (Special Projects).

It is unclear what the investigations are about.

Mr Koh’s former colleagues painted a divisive picture of a man who has spent over 30 years in the education service, while former students in schools he led shared one sentiment: He was a strict principal who brooked no nonsense.

Read the full report in The New Paper on Thursday (Dec 20).

 

[Kyo Kusanagi]

Former River Valley High principal linked to woman
Posted: 21 December 2012 0534 hrs

SINGAPORE: Former River Valley High School Principal Mr Steven Koh Yong Chiah, 58, who is assisting investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), has been linked to a woman in the educational services industry.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the woman is said to be running several businesses, most of them providing education-related services to schools, such as organising educational trips overseas for schools.

Mr Koh had served as Principal of Chinese High School from 1999 to 2002, before it merged with Hwa Chong Junior College in 2005 to become HCI.

Former staff of Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) were grilled by CPIB for more than 10 hours on the relationship between Mr Koh and the mystery woman, reported Lianhe Wanbao. The woman is believed to be married to a foreigner.

On December 19, the Ministry of Education (MOE) had announced that Mr Koh was assisting the CPIB in its investigations, and that it was redeploying him from River Valley High to the MOE Headquarters as Principal (Special Projects).

Shin Min Daily quoted Mr Koh saying that he has "nothing to be worried about", though he was initially taken aback when the CPIB contacted him.

"I thought, why are they looking for me? But I have nothing to be worried about," he told the newspaper's reporter on December 19.

When asked what the investigation was about, Mr Koh said it was not appropriate for him to reveal details as it was ongoing.

- TODAY

 

[M8SSLOTS]

There are so many teachers gambling at RWS and MBS.
Not surprised at all

 

[RiderZX]

Cannot trust teachers afterall as they are human, born to make mistake.

 

[Hudson]

Moral of the story - the higher the level one gets, the more important to steer clear of questionable dealings.

Principal now got to make sure he did nothing wrong not only in his eye but also in the eyes of the investigators.

If he got caught proven to be guilty, now he has to face all his ex students with shame. Very terok feeling.

 

[Magic]

Moral of the story - The higher u climb, the harder u fall.