Healing the Divide Members Accused of Fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Claims
Additional Charges Filed Against Key Figures in Vaccine Fraud Case
SINGAPORE: Iris Koh, the 46-year-old founder of the anti-vaccination group Healing the Divide, now faces two additional charges of conspiring to defraud the Ministry of Health (MOH). With these, the total charges against her rise to four.
Koh appeared in court on Wednesday (Jul 27) and was previously granted permission to travel to Malaysia for cancer treatment. The fresh accusations involve Dr. Jipson Quah, 34, and his assistant, Thomas Chua Cheng Soon, 40, both of whom were also handed new charges. Quah and Chua now face 10 and seven charges, respectively.
Fraud Allegations Involving Fake Vaccination Claims
The charges against Koh include conspiring with Quah, Chua, and a third person, Cedric Lim Junqi (also known as Mohammad Daniel Lim), to falsely report to MOH that Lim was vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine in January. A similar scheme allegedly occurred in October 2021, with Koh, Quah, and Gary Tho Kong Choong involved in fraudulent claims about Tho’s vaccination status.
These new charges add to Koh’s earlier allegations of falsifying vaccination statuses between July 2021 and January 2022 and obstructing a police officer by tearing up her statement in January.
New Accusations Against Quah and Chua
Quah and Chua are accused of further conspiracies to defraud MOH, including falsifying vaccination records for nine individuals. This includes a previously charged case involving Mehrajunnisha Quaide Milath and another person, Milath Quaide.
Court records also outline allegations that Quah and Chua collaborated with David Christopher Newton, 43, to falsely represent Newton and a woman, Apinya Wonglangka, as vaccinated between late December 2021 and mid-January 2022.
Additional charges claim that the pair falsely reported vaccinations for Elizabeth Monica Paglar, Stephen Columbus Sayson, and Natalie Carmella Sayson on Jan 19.
Quah faces separate charges for collaborating with Ngo Soh Yong and Sim Hong Ow between October and November 2021 to provide fraudulent vaccination statuses.
Legal Proceedings and Potential Penalties
Deputy Public Prosecutor Etsuko Lim indicated that further charges against Quah and Chua are likely, requesting a six-week adjournment for ongoing investigations. All three accused individuals remain on bail and are expected back in court on Sep 7.
Quah has been suspended by the Singapore Medical Council since Mar 23 for allegedly administering saline injections instead of COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for payments of up to S$1,500. These falsified records were uploaded to the National Immunisation Registry.
If convicted of making false representations, the accused could face up to 20 years in prison, fines, or both. Koh could also receive a maximum penalty of three months in prison, a fine of S$2,500, or both, for obstructing a public servant.
