Man charged with running employment scam

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Man charged with running employment scam
By Evelyn Choo | Posted: 18 December 2010 0409 hrs
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SINGAPORE : He ran an employment scam - hiring 'phantom' workers - which then allowed him to bring in real ones.

But he had no intention of hiring any of them.

Such was the scheme of 46-year-old Lim Kim Siah, from which he profited through collecting fees and kickbacks.

Investigations by the Ministry of Manpower revealed that Lim had used seven entities as shell set-ups.

These individual shell companies eventually pointed to one mastermind.

The ministry described this to be an elaborate syndicate.

Facing the Subordinate Court on Friday, he pleaded guilty to 219 offences for infringing the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Lim has been sentenced to 27 months in jail.

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, offenders who make false statements in work pass applications are liable to a fine not exceeding $15,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

For breaching anti-kickback conditions, offenders are liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.

- CNA /ls