A Singaporean man was offered $3,000 by a Filipino woman to enter into a fake marriage.
The man, Mohamed Fauzy Mohamed Kahir, 33, accepted the offer because he needed the money to pay off his debts and support the three children whom he fathered with his ex-wife. But in the end, the secret deal got exposed, and he was sentenced to six months’ jail and a fine of $3,000.
He pleaded guilty to one count under the Immigration Act of entering into a marriage of convenience on 25 January. A second related charge was considered in sentencing.
According to Zaobao, the 30-year-old woman known as Jane met Fauzy at a bar at Boat Quay in 2018.
At that time, Jane was working in the bar at the time, and the two met because Fauzy was a regular customer at the bar. However, the two lost contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, but met again by chance in late 2022 or early 2023 at a pub in Circular Road. Since then, the two began meeting regularly and became close.
Around February 2023, Jane proposed the idea of getting into a fake marriage because she needed to marry a Singapore citizen to get a long-term visit pass.
Jane also reportedly told Fauzy that after the solemnisation, she would give him $3,000.
Fauzy agreed to the fake marriage because he had credit card debts to clear, and he also had to pay for the child maintenance for his three children from his previous marriage.
In April 2023, the two registered their marriage at a restaurant called Hotshots at 68 Circular Road. However, the both of them did not consummate the marriage and they lived separately.
Investigations revealed that Fauzy acted as a guarantor to apply for a short-term tourist permit for Jane six times, and all of these applications were approved. However, on 8 August last year, Fauzy applied for a long-term visit pass for Jane, but the application did not get approved.
Fauzy was arrested by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers for the false marriage offence in November 2023.
Jane, who had a fake marriage with Fauzy, has already been charged, and her case will be heard in court on 31 January.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said it takes a serious view of violators who tries game the system to stay in Singapore, this includes those who arrange or assist in arranging fake marriages. They will continue to take strict enforcement actions against violators and intermediaries.
