Jail for man who entered marriage of convenience with woman he met at bar in exchange for money
The divorced man wanted the money to clear his credit card debt and pay child maintenance to his ex-wife.
File photo of a man putting on a wedding ring. (Photo: iStock/PeopleImages)
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SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man got into a marriage of convenience with a Filipino woman he met at a bar for S$3,000 (US$2,240), so he could pay off his debts and maintain the children he fathered with his ex-wife.
In exchange, he helped his foreign bride with her applications for visit passes so she could continue staying in the country.
Mohamed Fauzy Mohamed Kahir, 33, was sentenced to six months' jail and a fine of S$3,000 (US$2,238) by a court on Thursday (Jan 25).Â
If he cannot pay the fine, which he indicated he could not, he will have to serve another 10 days' jail in default.
Fauzy pleaded guilty to one count under the Immigration Act of entering into a marriage of convenience. A second related charge was considered in sentencing.
The court heard that Fauzy frequented a bar at Boat Quay in 2018, where he first met Jane.
They lost contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, but met again by chance in late-2022 or early-2023 at a pub in Circular Road.
They began meeting regularly and grew close.
Around February 2023, Jane proposed the idea of getting into a marriage of convenience, as she needed to marry a Singapore citizen to get a long-term visit pass.
She offered to pay Fauzy S$3,000 after the solemnisation.
Fauzy agreed. He wanted to alleviate his financial burdens owing to his outstanding credit card debt, as well as child maintenance for the children from his previous marriage.
In April 2023, the pair solemnised their marriage at a place called Hotshots at 68 Circular Road.
Investigations revealed that Fauzy received S$500 a week before the ceremony and the balance thereafter.
After they got married, Fauzy would receive additional payments of about S$30 when he acted as sponsor for her visit passes.
They did not consummate the marriage. While Jane's short-term visit pass applications sponsored by Fauzy were approved, her application for a long-term visit pass was not.
Fauzy was arrested by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers for the false marriage offence in November 2023.Â
The ICA prosecutor asked for six months' jail for Fauzy, and a fine of S$3,000 which was the amount he profited from the arrangement.
Defence lawyer Nadiah Li Feng Mahmood highlighted that her client was not the one who procured the financial arrangement.
"He was actually approached by the co-accused in this matter," she said.
Jane's case is pending before the courts.
