SINGAPORE: An employment agent was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Friday (Aug 25) for fraudulently obtaining a work permit for a foreigner.
Lee Peck Li has also been barred from the employment agency industry following his conviction, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a press release.
The 44-year-old Singaporean was the sales director and employment agency personnel of C1EA.
He was sentenced under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. Another charge of making a false statement was also taken into consideration during sentencing.
THE OFFENCE
Court documents showed that Lee was contacted in September 2021 by an overseas agent known to him as “Siqi” to facilitate the employment of a Chinese national named Li Guiyu.
Li wanted to apply for a work pass to enter Singapore to search for odd jobs.
Lee was informed that if he helped with the application, Siqi would reciprocate by referring other genuine work pass applicants to him.
Lee agreed to this arrangement as his overall income had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He wanted to earn commissions from the subsequent work pass applications promised by Siqi as his monthly salary was based on the number of new clients sourced as well as how many work permit transactions were processed.
Lee subsequently conspired with Siqi, Li and Chia Chen Ngee, the director of Liquidlab Communication, to obtain the work permit.
He made several calls to Chia to request that Liquidlab apply for a work permit for Li, and said that Li would look for her own jobs while in Singapore and pay her own levy for a period of three months.
As he had been handling Liquidlab’s recruitment matters, Lee knew that the company had the quota to hire foreign employees.
In his capacity as key appointment holder of the employment agency, Lee then submitted a work permit application stating that Li would be employed as a sales representative by Liquidlab.
“Liquidlab had no intention to employ Li, and Li had no intention to work for the company,” said MOM.
In October 2021, a work permit was issued to Li and she arrived in Singapore to source for her own jobs without performing any work for Liquidlab.
Li was arrested by the police on Nov 17, 2021 for engaging in vice activities. She was issued a stern warning, repatriated and barred from working in Singapore.
In response to queries from CNA, the Manpower Ministry said Chia was issued a composition fine of S$5,000 (US$3,690). Liquidlab Communication was also given a stern warning.
MOM ADVISORY
All employment agencies and employers are required to make accurate, complete and truthful declarations to the controller of work passes in their work pass applications, said MOM.
“Making false declarations is a serious offence,” it added.
Those found guilty face a fine of up to S$20,000, a jail term of up to two years, or both.
Errant employers will have their work pass privileges suspended, and the work pass applicant will also be barred from working in Singapore.