Businessman’s appeal against punishment for using fake passport dismissed
Kobi Krishna Ayavoo, a prison officer accused of soliciting bribes from an inmate has been further charged with two counts relating to computer misuse offences. Photo: Reuters
SINGAPORE — A China-born businessman once ranked among the richest in China had his appeal against a five-month jail sentence for using a fake passport to enter Singapore thrown out by a High Court on Wednesday (Nov 1).
Singaporean Mick Davies, who is also known as Lan Shili, had left for China on a business trip in February last year. His Singapore passport was impounded by the Chinese authorities after a business partner lodged a complaint of fraud against him.
Davies, 56, fled after three months, entering Vietnam illegally by boat.
He approached the Singapore Embassy in Hanoi to seek help in obtaining a document of identity, but was informed that he would first have to account to the Vietnamese authorities how he had entered the country without going through immigration checks.
Unwilling to do that, Davies left Vietnam illegally for Singapore using a fake Hong Kong passport given to him by a man known as “Ah Hua”.
On July 12 last year, Davies arrived at Changi International Airport and managed to clear immigration. But he was arrested on July 27 at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, although court documents did not say what led to his arrest.
Arguing that the five-month jail sentence imposed on Davies was “manifestly excessive”, defence lawyer Irving Choh noted that his client had faced threats from business associates in China and merely wanted to return home to Singapore.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Shi countered this, saying the jail term handed to Davies was on the low end of the sentencing precedents for such offences — the typical range was eight to 14 months’ imprisonment.
Judge of Appeal Tay Yong Kwang dismissed the appeal.
Once the richest man in Hubei province, Davies set up a company selling computers at the age of 25 and started growing his wealth.
In 2005, he acquired East Star Airlines on top of his other portfolios which include real estate.
In 2008, Forbes calculated his net worth to some US$380 million. But things started to spiral downwards for Davies after East Star Airlines entered bankruptcy in 2009 and he was sentenced to four years’ jail in China the following year for tax evasion.
