The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore announced on Wednesday that it is reviewing the permanent residence statuses of Ian Fang and Lev Panfilov following their recent criminal convictions.
According to ICA, Singapore permanent residents who have been found guilty of offences will undergo a review process by the authority. An ICA spokesperson stated, “As the review of the PR statuses for Ian Fang and Lev Panfilov is ongoing, we are unable to share more details at this juncture.”
Ian Fang, a former actor and Singapore permanent resident, was sentenced to 40 months in jail after pleading guilty to sexual offences involving a minor. The 35-year-old, born in Shanghai and educated in Singapore, admitted to three charges of sexual penetration of a girl under 16, with additional charges considered during sentencing.
Despite facing a possible jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, Fang did not receive caning for his offences. The identity of Fang’s victim, who was 15 at the time of the incidents in 2024, remains protected by a gag order.
On the other hand, Lev Panfilov, a permanent resident from Russia and former Wah! Banana actor, was sentenced to 11 years and six months in jail, along with 12 strokes of the cane, for raping, sexually assaulting, and molesting a woman he met on the dating app Tinder. Despite his lawyers confirming an appeal against the conviction and sentence, Panfilov’s case has drawn attention for its high-profile nature. The victim’s identity in his case is also protected under a gag order.
The verdict in Panfilov’s case led to an online controversy when former vice-president of the Law Society of Singapore, Chia Boon Teck, appeared to question the victim’s actions in a LinkedIn post. Chia’s comments, perceived as victim-shaming, sparked backlash from the public and the legal fraternity, prompting his resignation from the Law Society.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam condemned such victim-blaming and misogyny, stating that they have no place in society.
In Singapore, those convicted of rape can face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ jail, along with fines or caning. The penalties for sexual assault by penetration are aligned with those for rape, while individuals convicted of molestation can receive jail time, fines, caning, or a combination of these punishments according to the law.
