4 arrested for allegedly making false declarations, collecting kickbacks in ‘phantom workers’ scheme, Singapore News

Documents, computers seized in raid

The raid was witnessed by workers in the six-storey commercial building on Wednesday morning.

An eyewitness, who only gave her name as Ng, said she was at the nearby cafeteria when she saw a group of unfamiliar people come out from the lift. 

“It was about 9.30am when they (MOM officers) came. At that time, you’d usually see familiar faces around. I haven’t seen them before,” Ng said, adding that their serious demeanour caught her attention.

“They headed straight for the company’s office wearing their lanyards.”

Ng said she was unconcerned and did not call the police as they appeared to be government officials and not troublemakers.

She told AsiaOne that her intuition was proven right about an hour later when two men were led away separately in handcuffs.

They were each trailed by an officer carrying a box, believed to contain evidence such as documents, and led to a waiting unmarked van.

According to Ng and a co-worker surnamed Lam, they recognised them as the company’s directors. 

The two office workers said they saw officers carrying several more boxes of seized documents and computers into waiting vehicles over the next one-and-a-half hours.

They left at around noon and things returned to normal.

Checks by AsiaOne on the company’s business records indicate that it is a construction company licensed for general building and civil engineering works. 

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), those found making false declarations in work pass applications could be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

MOM will also bar entities or individuals convicted of such offences from employing foreign workers.

Those who collude with companies by providing their particulars for fraudulent CPF contributions to inflate foreign worker quotas may also be prosecuted for abetment of false declaration, which carries a fine of up to $20,000, an imprisonment term of up to two years, or both.

The collection of employment-related kickbacks is an offence punishable with a fine of up to $30,000, an imprisonment term of up to two years, or both.

Meanwhile, those found guilty of operating an employment agency without a licence could face a fine of up to $80,000, jail of up to two years, or both.

MOM also reminded members of the public not to accept CPF contributions from businesses they are not working for, as this could constitute aiding in false declaration offences by errant employers.

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editor@asiaone.com