The High Court on Wednesday upheld the acquittal of former Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) president Choo Wee Khiang, dismissing the prosecution's appeal.

The 59-year-old was cleared last year of misappropriating $8,400 from the STTA in 2005. The money was used to pay assistant coach Luo Jie, who moonlighted as a table tennis coach at Fuhua Secondary School between 2001 and 2003.

A district court found after a trial that there was neither wrongful loss to the association, nor wrongful gain to the coach, since the money was contractually due to him.

Former high performance manager Koh Li Ping, 45, was also acquitted of helping Choo commit the offence.

On Wednesday, the prosecution appealed, arguing that Mr Luo was not legally entitled to money from the association for the private coaching services he gave at Fuhua.

But after hearing arguments, Justice Tay Yong Kwang said he agreed with the district judge's conclusion and dismissed the appeal.

Choo, who still faces three other unrelated corruption charges for accepting bribes from former coaches and a national player, looked visibly happy with the High Court's decicion but declined comment citing the pending charges.

Ms Koh said she was relieved. "I believe that there's justice in Singapore," she said.