News

Iris Koh Will Spend CNY in Remand as Her Bail Request Was Denied Due to More Patients Found in Her Conspiracy

2022-01-31 , 3:54 pm

Iris Koh, founder of the anti-vaccine group Healing the Divide, will be spending her Chinese New Year under police custody as the High Court has denied her request to be released on bail on Monday (Jan 31) for a multitude of reasons.

Specifics of Koh’s Charges

Last Friday (28 Jan), Koh was charged for conspiring with general practitioner Jipson Quah for making falsified vaccination records to the Ministry of Health (MOH), alleging that the people listed were vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine, when they weren’t.

Reportedly, she also encouraged her group for disrupting crucial public hotlines that were meant to help the public with their COVID-19 issues.

Hence, she was charged with an offence of criminal conspiracy to cheat on Sunday (23 Jan).

During Monday’s court hearings, it was disclosed that there were at least 20 patients involved in the conspiracy as the ongoing investigations continue to reveal offences concerning pre-event testing and vaccine exemption letters.

Since the investigations are still ensuing, it is unclear if there will be more charges in the future.

Remanded for Obstruction of Justice

Apart from broadening the number of persons involved in the case, Koh adds to her growing list of crimes by being a public nuisance whenever the option is available to her.

In Justice Vincent Hoong’s words, he remarked that Koh’s “belligerence, obstructive behaviour, and lack of cooperation with the investigations” during the initial period of her remand, which began on the day of her arrest (23 Jan) has been “appalling”.

For the same reason, Justice Vincent Hoong had seen fit to agree with the prosecutors to extend her time in custody and deny her request for bail, so that she could continue contributing to the investigations and make up for the lost time.

On the other hand, her accomplice Jipson Quah and his assistant Thomas Chua were granted bail since they managed to persuade the court that they were just acting on orders instead of being the actual culprits.

While their bails are priced at $20,000 and $6,000 respectively, they still succeeded, whereas Iris Koh didn’t.

Having said that, you must be curious, how “appalling” was Koh’s behaviour, such that even the judge decided that Koh had to be remanded?

Well, the horridness of her general conduct is a level on its own.

Excuses and Tantrums

On her first day in custody, Koh consistently complained about having anxiety and panic attacks, but she refused to go to the Institute of Mental Health to receive medical attention or assessments of her condition.

On the fourth day, she spent two hours making a police report against her investigative officer instead of assisting in the investigation.

On the fifth day, she refused medical attention again even though she claimed that she was feeling uncomfortable, then proceeded to tear up the police statement after her charges were read to her like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

On the sixth day, she was placed under observation at the Singapore General Hospital.

On the seventh day, she refused to be discharged even though it was determined that she was mentally and physically healthy.

Undeterred, the local authorities read her charges to her in the hospital.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, Koh shrieked her refusals to accept the charges laid against her and hurled an expletive at her investigative officer before tearing up her charge again.

I feel pity for the two pieces of paper that were at the receiving end of her unfounded anger.

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Conclusion to Monday Hearings

If it isn’t already apparent, yes, Iris Koh tried to use every method possible to make life difficult for her prosecutors and investigative officers; her obstinacy and childishness rivalling her fervent disbelief of vaccines and their effectiveness.

Koh’s lawyer, Mr Clarence Lun, should also be praised for his thick skin when he raised Koh’s medical condition of hyperthyroidism as a reason to support her application for a bail.

(Note: The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are weight loss despite an increase of appetite, irregular heartbeat, nervousness, irritability, trouble sleeping, shaky hands, muscle weakness, trouble tolerating heat, frequent bowel movements, and the enlargement of a neck called goiter.)

To the surprise of no one except Koh, Justice Hoong stated that Koh’s application for bail was “wholly devoid of merit” and it didn’t suffice as a reason to grant bail, since that medical condition wasn’t debilitating, and her assessment at the Singapore General Hospital had proven that she was medically fit.

The judge also added that she was charged with a non-bailable offence, and it was her burden and duty to provide evidence to satisfy the court before a bail was even considered.

Her active and deliberate attempts at delaying the investigations were anything but cooperative, and the fact that she tore up her police statements was a “blatant disrespect to the investigative and court processes”.

With her charges and consequent and constant obstruction of justice in mind, Koh was thusly denied from having her bail granted, and will be spending her Chinese New Year in the interrogative presence of the police.

Considering how 20 more people have become involved, of whom are mostly likely members of her anti-vaccine group, it will be another type of Chinese New Year gathering, except this one will be surrounded by grey walls and scowling expressions.

No offence, Ms Koh, but you kind of deserve it.