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A 51-year-old Singaporean man, Ye Yongjian, was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison on 5 May, after pleading guilty to charges under the Singaporean Immigration Act
He was found to have actively assisted his Chinese girlfriend in arranging a sham marriage to enable her to extend her stay in Singapore, as reported by Zaobao.
The incident began in May 2022, when Ye's girlfriend, Cao Rongrong, 33, sought ways to remain in Singapore after her employer indicated plans to cancel her work permit. A friend, Yan Jicai, acted as a middleman and recruited another Singaporean man, Chen Weiyu, to enter into a fake marriage with Cao.
The arrangement involved a monthly payment of SGD1,500 (RM4,656) to Chen, plus a SGD500 (RM1,552) allowance for alcohol.
Image used for illustration purposes only.
Image via Eugene L/PexelsYe played an active role in the ruse, ensuring the marriage went ahead to help secure Cao's immigration status
He used his credit card to purchase a wedding ring and acted as the financier, paying a total of SGD6,000 (RM18,625) to Chen across four monthly instalments on behalf of his girlfriend.
On 9 July 2022, a fake wedding ceremony was held at a restaurant. Ye booked the venue and personally served as one of the witnesses alongside Yan Jicai.
During the ceremony, Ye also provided an angpao containing SGD108 (RM335) to the marriage officiant at his girlfriend's request.
Following the sham marriage, Chen Weiyu successfully applied for short-term and long-term visit passes for Cao on behalf of the couple
Ye was eventually arrested on 20 March 2024.
Other individuals involved in the scheme have also faced legal repercussions.
Chen, who acted as the husband, was sentenced to six months and two weeks in jail. Meanwhile, both Cao and Yan face six months in prison.
