NKF CEO Edmund Kwok fired due to 'personal indiscretion' with a male colleague

National Kidney Foundation (NKF) CEO Edmund Kwok was fired over his “personal indiscretion” with a male staff member, the charity revealed at a media conference on Wednesday (Nov 16).

NKF chairman Koh Poh Tiong said at the conference that a police report has been lodged after NKF was advised by its lawyers that the incident was a “reportable offence”, according to a report by Today newspaper. On the NKF incident, Police confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

Koh said that Kwok was called up to respond to the incident before an inquiry and discipline committee on Sunday. Kwok was terminated and informed of the decision on Monday, Koh added.

The NKF board had agreed that there should be “no cover up” due to the “seriousness of the case”. Koh stressed that the incident was unrelated to the stewardship of finances, and that it will not affect NKF’s patients, supporters or employees, the Today report said.

Earlier Wednesday, NKF announced Kwok’s termination and the appointment of a three-member executive committee to temporarily assume the former CEO’s responsibilities.

The committee will hand over duties in mid-December to former CEO Eunice Tay, who will be interim CEO. NKF said a search for a new CEO will start soon.

Kwok, who became CEO in 2013, previously served as the NKF’s chief operating officer under Tay. In his previous roles, he was vice-president of oncology at Parkway Healthcare and was also a director at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Institute of Mental Health.

Tay herself became NKF CEO in 2006 in the wake of a leadership reshuffle, when the entire board resigned in 2005 following the T. T. Durai financial scandal.