Singapore – Iris Koh, co-founder of controversial anti-vaccine group Healing the Divide, had her the charge against her last Sunday upgraded on Friday (Jan 28) to the more serious one of criminal conspiracy to lie to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Koh, 46, had initially been charged with criminal conspiracy with a doctor, Jipson Quah, 33, to cheat MOH into accepting that people had received the Sinopharm vaccine when they had not been vaccinated at all.
Koh is said to have referred clients, believed to be members of the anti-vaccination group Healing The Divide, to Quah. Koh allegedly suggested administering something in lieu of the vaccine to the patients.
A report on Yahoo news said that Koh was admitted to the Singapore General Hospital ahead of her court mention on Friday (28 January), where her charge was upgraded and bail was denied.
Clarence Lun, Koh’s lawyer who appeared via a Zoom hearing for Koh, confirmed that she is currently warded in Singapore General Hospital. It is unclear when and why she was admitted.
However, he said it was “unlikely to be COVID-19”, to his knowledge, a CNA report added.
The maximum penalty for Koh’s initial charge is three years’ jail and a fine, but the upgraded charge is punishable by up to 20 years’ jail and a fine.
Koh is set to return to court on Feb 4. The two men linked to her case, Quah and his assistant, Thomas Chua Cheng Soon, 40, have also been remanded and are facing upgraded charges. The men were initially charged on Jan 21 for abetment by conspiracy to cheat.
The four clinics linked to Quah have been informed by MOH that their authorisation to approve of ART will be revoked. /TISG
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