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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/410252/1/.html
Syndicates extend social visit pass by falsifying address, marriage
By Zul Othman, TODAY | Posted: 20 February 2009 0653 hrs
Photos 1 of 1
SINGAPORE: She needed her social visit pass to be extended and, through an acquaintance, met two Chinese men who said they could do it.
Yang Jun said she had never met the men before; the 26-year-old nonetheless paid them $400 to help settle her woes, as her pass was due to expire in December 2005.
Now, the Chinese national has been found to have broken the law. The address on her application was not hers, and she was charged with making a false declaration.
Yang, who enrolled last year for an English language course, pleaded guilty on Thursday in the Subordinate Court to breaching the Immigration Act.
Her offence was only uncovered when the authorities smashed a syndicate in January 2006 headed by one Lim Kien Peng, which led the Corrupt Practices Investigation Board to his "black planner". This had the names and particulars of all the Chinese nations he had helped.
While it is not known how many people were implicated, TODAY understands that all of Lim's clients were subsequently arrested.
Yang was fined $4,000 on Thursday — instead of the usual jail time — because District Judge Chia Wee Kiat felt that she was not aware of the proper procedures at the time and had been reliant on the agents.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Chia Boon Teck said the agents had duped Yang, as they did not inform her how they were going to extend her social visit pass.
Yang Jianmei — another of the syndicate's clients — was also brought to the dock on Thursday for making a false declaration to extend her social visit pass.
The 37-year-old, however, had conspired to enter into a sham marriage with an accomplice of Lim — Kong Kim Poh. She falsely declared in September 2005 that she was living with Kong in Corporation Road, when in fact her address was Geylang Lorong 31.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Karen Ang, "a large number of foreigners, particularly women from PRC (People's Republic of China)" are extending their social visit passes, many of whom through marriages of convenience.
But fewer overstayers are being caught: 3,600 last year down from 4,800 in 2007, according to Immigration and Checkpoints Authority data.
The case has been adjourned to March 17, as her lawyer is obtaining a medical report in respect to her five-week pregnancy. The unemployed woman could be jailed for up to three months.
- TODAY/so
Syndicates extend social visit pass by falsifying address, marriage
By Zul Othman, TODAY | Posted: 20 February 2009 0653 hrs
Photos 1 of 1
SINGAPORE: She needed her social visit pass to be extended and, through an acquaintance, met two Chinese men who said they could do it.
Yang Jun said she had never met the men before; the 26-year-old nonetheless paid them $400 to help settle her woes, as her pass was due to expire in December 2005.
Now, the Chinese national has been found to have broken the law. The address on her application was not hers, and she was charged with making a false declaration.
Yang, who enrolled last year for an English language course, pleaded guilty on Thursday in the Subordinate Court to breaching the Immigration Act.
Her offence was only uncovered when the authorities smashed a syndicate in January 2006 headed by one Lim Kien Peng, which led the Corrupt Practices Investigation Board to his "black planner". This had the names and particulars of all the Chinese nations he had helped.
While it is not known how many people were implicated, TODAY understands that all of Lim's clients were subsequently arrested.
Yang was fined $4,000 on Thursday — instead of the usual jail time — because District Judge Chia Wee Kiat felt that she was not aware of the proper procedures at the time and had been reliant on the agents.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Chia Boon Teck said the agents had duped Yang, as they did not inform her how they were going to extend her social visit pass.
Yang Jianmei — another of the syndicate's clients — was also brought to the dock on Thursday for making a false declaration to extend her social visit pass.
The 37-year-old, however, had conspired to enter into a sham marriage with an accomplice of Lim — Kong Kim Poh. She falsely declared in September 2005 that she was living with Kong in Corporation Road, when in fact her address was Geylang Lorong 31.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Karen Ang, "a large number of foreigners, particularly women from PRC (People's Republic of China)" are extending their social visit passes, many of whom through marriages of convenience.
But fewer overstayers are being caught: 3,600 last year down from 4,800 in 2007, according to Immigration and Checkpoints Authority data.
The case has been adjourned to March 17, as her lawyer is obtaining a medical report in respect to her five-week pregnancy. The unemployed woman could be jailed for up to three months.
- TODAY/so
