<TABLE id=msgUN cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Bangla FT in illegal labor supplier scam</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
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</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">1:38 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 1) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>11158.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Four accused of supplying illegal labour
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Melissa Sim & Esther Tan
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->A RAID by police and Manpower Ministry Officers on various residential premises including a flat in Sin Ming Road and an office in Short Street, smashed an alleged illegal labour supply syndicate on Tuesday.
Four men were arrested and charged in court on Wednesday. They face more than 200 charges in total. The offences included false declaration of their status as employers, not abiding by work pass conditions relating to levy collection, and failure to supervise and control foreign workers under their charge.
The group of four men are said to have brought in around 100 workers from Bangladesh, India and China. Most of the workers were allegedly illegally deployed to other companies or told to find their own employment.
One of the four men, said to be the key player in the alleged syndicate, was a work permit holder from Bangladesh. Shamsul Hoque Abdur Rahim, 40, faces the most charges of the lot - 125 charges in all under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
They are for contravening work pass conditions relating to levy collection, engaging in business without a valid work pass, and abetting the three other men- Singaporeans Ong Hock Beng, 41, Sim Thiam Huat, 52, and Choo Yam Siah, 56.
Among other things, they are said to have received monthly salaries from Shamsul to front three companies which were used to recruit the foreign workers.
Mr Aw Kum Cheong, divisional director of the foreign manpower management division, said in a release issued by MOM: 'We want to reiterate that anyone, whether local or foreign, who breaks our employment laws will be dealt with severely.'
In a separate case yesterday, Wong Piang Kai, 62, was jailed for 16 months for making false Central Provident Fund account declarations in applying for work passes and for making false declarations about employing several foreign workers. He pleaded guilty to 20 charges and 30 similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, any person who provides misleading information faces a maximum fine of $15,000 and a year in jail.
The same goes for a first time offender charged with illegal employment. He will also have to repay levy evaded. Employers who contravene any work pass conditions face a maximum of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Melissa Sim & Esther Tan
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->A RAID by police and Manpower Ministry Officers on various residential premises including a flat in Sin Ming Road and an office in Short Street, smashed an alleged illegal labour supply syndicate on Tuesday.
Four men were arrested and charged in court on Wednesday. They face more than 200 charges in total. The offences included false declaration of their status as employers, not abiding by work pass conditions relating to levy collection, and failure to supervise and control foreign workers under their charge.
The group of four men are said to have brought in around 100 workers from Bangladesh, India and China. Most of the workers were allegedly illegally deployed to other companies or told to find their own employment.
One of the four men, said to be the key player in the alleged syndicate, was a work permit holder from Bangladesh. Shamsul Hoque Abdur Rahim, 40, faces the most charges of the lot - 125 charges in all under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
They are for contravening work pass conditions relating to levy collection, engaging in business without a valid work pass, and abetting the three other men- Singaporeans Ong Hock Beng, 41, Sim Thiam Huat, 52, and Choo Yam Siah, 56.
Among other things, they are said to have received monthly salaries from Shamsul to front three companies which were used to recruit the foreign workers.
Mr Aw Kum Cheong, divisional director of the foreign manpower management division, said in a release issued by MOM: 'We want to reiterate that anyone, whether local or foreign, who breaks our employment laws will be dealt with severely.'
In a separate case yesterday, Wong Piang Kai, 62, was jailed for 16 months for making false Central Provident Fund account declarations in applying for work passes and for making false declarations about employing several foreign workers. He pleaded guilty to 20 charges and 30 similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, any person who provides misleading information faces a maximum fine of $15,000 and a year in jail.
The same goes for a first time offender charged with illegal employment. He will also have to repay levy evaded. Employers who contravene any work pass conditions face a maximum of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
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