Fake passport, fake qualifications: Former tycoon stripped of S’pore citizenship
Photo: Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE — A tycoon who was once one of the richest men in China was stripped of his Singapore citizenship for using a fake passport to enter Singapore, and for providing fake qualifications to support his citizenship application.
In a media release on Monday (March 5), the Ministry of Home Affairs said Mick Davies, 58, was served a Notice of Proposed Deprivation of Citizenship. He obtained his Singapore citizenship in 2002.
Born in China as Lan Shili, Davies changed his name to Jack Thomson in 2013 and later to his current name in 2014. An entreprenuer who was once named by Forbes as the 70th richest man in China, Davies made his fortune through real estate, tourism and telecommunications.
In 2010, Davies was jailed in China for tax evasion. Six years later he was investigated by the Chinese authorities for fraud. Although his Singapore passport had been impounded by the Chinese authorities then, Davies fled China illegally by boat and entered Vietnam illegally.
He tried to obtain a replacement travel document at the Singapore Mission in Hanoi by falsely declaring that he had lost his Singapore passport.
When Davies failed to get a replacement travel document, he left Vietnam for Singapore using a Hong Kong passport bearing the name of another person.
However, Davies was arrested at Changi Airport for illegal entry. He was then charged and sentenced to five months’ jail for several immigration offences relating to his entry into Singapore without valid travel documents. His appeal against his sentence was dismissed by the High Court in Nov 2017.
During the trial, Davies’ lawyer Irving Choh told the High Court that Davies was facing death threats in China and there was “reason to fear for his life” if he had stayed.
Investigations also revealed that Davies had provided forged educational certificates to support his Singapore Citizenship application in 2002. He was later found to have concealed and failed to declare in the application that he had previously held the passport and citizenship of a third country.
“The Government takes a very serious view of persons who commit fraud, provide false information or conceal material facts during their application for any Singapore immigration facility, including Singapore citizenship,” said the MHA.
Those who are found to have done so will be dealt with the law, added the MHA, saying that this may include having their immigration facilities deprived or revoked under the Constitution and the Immigration Act.
“After due consideration that Davies’ (Singapore citizenship) had been obtained by fraudulent means, false representation and concealment of material facts, and that he had flouted immigration laws locally and abroad, the Minister for Home Affairs intends to deprive him of his (citizenship), as it is not conducive to the public good for him to remain a Singapore citizen,” the MHA statement read.
Davies may apply for his case to be referred to a Citizenship Committee of Inquiry (CCOI) within 21 days of the date of receipt of the Notice of Proposed Deprivation.
The CCOI will then hold an inquiry and submit a report to the Home Affairs Minister who will then whether to proceed to deprive him of his citizenship.
