Charges include obstructing police and conspiring to defraud Ministry of Health over Sinopharm vaccines
Iris Koh Shu Cii, 46, the founder of the Healing the Divide group, has been hit with a new charge of obstructing a police officer after allegedly tearing up a statement and refusing to sign it while in police custody. The new charge brings her total charges to two, the first being a criminal conspiracy with Dr. Jipson Quah to defraud the Ministry of Health (MOH) by falsely presenting that individuals had been vaccinated with the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.
Healing the Divide, which describes COVID-19 vaccination as “medical coercion,” is considered an anti-vaccination group by MOH. Koh had been remanded since January 23, but on February 4, she was granted bail of S$20,000 after the prosecution indicated that she was no longer required in custody for investigations.
Under the terms of her bail, Koh must comply with several conditions, including submitting to further investigations when necessary, attending court hearings, and refraining from committing any further offences. She is also prohibited from contacting any potential witnesses or co-accused individuals. The prosecution is to provide a list of witnesses that Koh is not allowed to contact, a request which Koh’s lawyer argued was too broad given the large number of members in the Healing the Divide group.
During the hearing, Koh attempted to address the court, stating that she felt the need to contact her members to gather evidence for her defence. However, District Judge Ng Peng Hong cautioned her about the role of her lawyer in court, emphasising that it was not appropriate for her to repeatedly speak during the proceedings.
Koh’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 14. She is the last of her co-accused to be granted bail after a failed application to the High Court ahead of Chinese New Year. If convicted, Koh faces up to three months in jail, a fine of up to S$2,500, or both for obstructing a public servant. The criminal conspiracy charge could result in up to 20 years in prison, a fine, or both.
