Geylang KTV operator gets jail for helping to bribe police officer over rival gang fight
Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok, and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.
BY
LYDIA LAM
Published September 4, 2023Updated September 4, 2023
WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn
SINGAPORE — The owner of a karaoke lounge helped his associates bribe a police officer by arranging a meeting and providing an empty red packet, which his associates filled with S$2,000 for the cop.
This was to help "settle" a police investigation into a fight between two rival gangs that the associates were involved in.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ng Chuan Seng, 52, was sentenced to five weeks' jail on Monday (Sept 4) for his crime. He was also fined S$1,500 for failing to maintain records of some KTV employees.
Ng pleaded guilty to one count each of abetting bribery and contravening his public entertainment licence by not maintaining records of some employees.
A third charge was taken into consideration.
READ ALSO
Former police officer charged with accepting bribes, obstruction of justice
The court heard that Ng owned and operated a KTV pub registered under the name B1 Entertainment, located at 149 Geylang Road.
It was marketed as Kiss KTV and Pegasus.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ng was acquainted with a station inspector in the Secret Societies Branch of the Singapore Police Force, co-accused Poo Tze Chiang, 46.
Poo was Ng's police supervision officer when Ng was released from prison in 2013. They "renewed" their acquaintance sometime in 2018, and Poo began frequenting Ng's pub, said Deputy Public Prosecutor David Menon.
In September 2019, one of Ng's associates told Ng that he had been in a fight between two rival gangs. The associate was worried that he and another man would be implicated in a police investigation.
This associate knew that Poo was a police officer and hoped that he would help "settle" the police investigation, the court heard.
READ ALSO
8 weeks' jail for man who offered officers S$100 in 'coffee money' after getting caught drink-driving
Ng arranged for the two associates involved in the fight to meet Poo at the KTV pub.
ADVERTISEMENT
Just before meeting Poo, the two men asked Ng if Poo expected a red packet in exchange for his assistance.
Ng said "it was up to them", but he suggested a figure of S$1,000 to S$2,000. He later handed a red packet to one of the associates, and the two associates placed S$2,000 in the envelope before handing it back to Ng.
Ng gave the red packet, filled with cash, to Poo, who accepted it as a bribe from the two associates.
Separately, police officers from the compliance management unit did a check on Ng's pub on June 14, 2022.
They found that the staff register did not contain the personal particulars of seven employees, including a floor manager, a pub manager, a PR manager, a musician and a waitress.
ADVERTISEMENT
This was in violation of the conditions of the public entertainment licence Ng had.
The prosecutor sought five to seven weeks' jail and a fine of S$1,500 to S$2,000 for Ng.
He said public sector corruption typically attracts a jail sentence, as it "erodes the confidence of the general public in the service of public servants and reflects poorly on those public servants that do stick by the law".
Ng also has recent convictions, including one in 2019 for offences under the Remote Gambling Act, for which he was jailed.
However, Ng pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, which the prosecution said was a mitigating factor.
Ng was allowed to begin his jail term on Sep 18.
SPF said in a previous statement when Poo was charged that it referred Poo's case to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau after the alleged offences were discovered through internal checks, and Poo was removed from frontline duties.
According to court records, Poo is set to go to trial in November. CNA
