SINGAPORE: In order to obtain an employment pass, a foreign businessman falsely claimed that he would be working for the local company in front of the Ministry of & nbsp, Manpower ( MOM ).
In actuality, he had no intention of working for the business. Instead, the purpose of the pass was to make his stay in Singapore legitimate so that he could eventually obtain permanent residency and Singaporean citizenship in exchange for a” investment” in the business worth S 360 000 ( US$ 263 000 ).
Chinese national Zhang Qingqiao, 37, was given a four-week prison term on Monday( Oct. 9 ) for one count of making an untrue declaration to the Controller of Work Passes.
He had denied the accusation, but at the end of the test, he was found guilty.
Zhang was a seasoned entrepreneur who started investing in 2012 while still in China, according to the jury.
His long-term goal was to relocate his entire household to Singapore and establish themselves there, finally obtaining citizenship and permanent residency in Singapore.
Zhang met Wang Jue, also known as Jess, around July 2019 while he was pursuing a Marketing in Singapore.
Zhang’s defense claims that Wang continued a dishonest investment plan. & nbsp,
Zhang made the decision to” invest” S$ 360,000 in MW Dynamics after meeting Wang. This came after he turned down a$ 2 million investment plan that would have allowed him to obtain PR status in three years.
He would acquire an employment pass from the business as part of the program, where he would receive a monthly income of S$ 10,000.
He had allegedly receive the S$ 360,000 back through his salary after three years, and he wouldn’t have to do any work or give a review to the business.
Even though he had no plans to work for MW Dynamics, the judge noted that the goal of this” zero-returns” investment was to obtain an employment pass with the company in order to justify his stay in Singapore.
In accordance with the plan, Zhang signed and gave the Controller of Work Passes a resolution requesting an employment go in September 2019.
He stated on the application that he would be working as a business growth director for MW Dynamics and earning S$ 10,000 per month.
The program was given the go-ahead.
Zhang’s punishment comes after another Foreign nation, Yu Huajie, was sentenced to seven days in prison for comparable offenses. It is unclear how the wrongdoings were discovered.
When Wang applied for an career move, he had a similar experience.
Zhang’s defense group claimed Wang was a survivor who had been duped during the trial and pointed the finger at Wang.
The defense’s attempt to place the entire blame on ( Wang ), according to the judge,” did not persuade him.”
While defense attorneys Mr. Sunil Sudheesan and Ms. Joyce Khoo of Quahe Woo & amp, Palmer, requested a fine, the prosecution sought four to six weeks in jail for Zhang.
JUDGE’S COMMENTS
According to the information, according to Principal District Judge Victor Yeo, Zhang entered into the investment in order to obtain an employment pass and was aware from the beginning that he was not required to work for the business.
His claims that he didn’t read, write, or speak English and trusted Wang with the employment pass application were” unconvincing ,” according to Judge Yeo, who is an experienced entrepreneur who can consult with his attorney about investments.
The 18-month-long deception immediately violated MOM’s policy for issuing like passes.
According to the prosecutor, it also has an impact on immigration legislation.
The defense had argued that this situation was distinct from normal Employment of Foreign Manpower Act circumstances, which frequently involve accidental employers who break the law in order to make money, or false or forged qualifications. & nbsp,
However, Judge Yeo claimed that Zhang had given MW Dynamics a sizable sum of money, so the defense’s claim that the wrongdoing company in this case had certainly benefited financially would not be entirely accurate.
Zhang could have easily obtained an employment pass through his home business, just as his family had done, according to Mr. Sudheesan.
Judge Yeo, but, stated that he could not offer this much weight. It was” pure speculation ,” to start. Zhang had chosen this way, which required a fake pronouncement, even if he was successful in other ways to obtain PR status or citizenship.
Zhang’s family is” very settled” in Singapore, so Judge Yeo added that he could not give much weight to the possibility of imprisonment or an access ban.
He said,” I do not consider this to be a very relevant consideration.”
Zhang wants to challenge his judgment and word.
Wang was potentially face criminal charges for assisting Zhang with his work go program, according to the court’s justifications for convicting Zhang.
Zhang could have been imprisoned for up to two years, fined as much as Mho$ 20,000, or both for submitting a false application for an employment pass on his resolution form.