Jail for woman who arranged sham marriage between Singaporean and Vietnamese
The Singaporean man had agreed to the ploy because of his gambling habits and need for money at the time.
File photo of a man putting on a wedding ring. (Photo: iStock/PeopleImages)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: A Vietnamese woman who arranged a marriage of convenience between a Singaporean man and another Vietnamese woman was sentenced to nine months' jail on Friday (Sep 13).
Le Thuy Trieu was also fined S$4,000 (US$3,080) for arranging the scheme, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a news release on Friday.
The 41-year-old had in 2016 offered to arrange a sham marriage between 52-year-old Hoo Kee Hwa and 32-year-old Vuong Thi My Tuyen so the latter "would have a higher chance of extending her stay in Singapore".
In return, Hoo would receive about S$8,000 to S$10,000. Due to his gambling habits and need for money at that time, the Singaporean took up the offer, ICA said.
Le proposed that Hoo remain in a marriage of convenience for three years, after which a divorce would be arranged.
Le also got acquainted with Vuong's mother, Luong Thi My Hang, and broached the idea of a marriage between Vuong and Hoo. Both mother and daughter agreed to the proposal.
"The marriage was solemnised on Aug 19, 2016, but was never consummated," ICA said.
Luong paid Le S$16,000 for her role in the ploy. Of this sum, Le paid Hoo S$10,000 and kept the remaining amount.
Hoo also received between S$400 and S$500 a month from Vuong for being a sponsor of her visit pass applications and extensions to prolong her stay in Singapore.
On Feb 8, 2022, Hoo and Vuong were arrested after ICA found that Vuong did not stay at their declared place of residence.
The couple was convicted of charges under the Immigration Act and sentenced to six months' jail and a fine of S$8,000 each in November and October 2022 respectively.
Luong, Vuong's mother, was arrested when she entered Singapore in February 2023 and was also sentenced to a six-month jail term.
"ICA will continue to take firm enforcement action against errant couples and middlemen," it warned.
The penalty for entering into a marriage of convenience is a fine of up to S$10,000, up to 10 years' jail, or both.
For making false statements to obtain immigration facilities, an offender can be jailed for up to 12 months, fined up to S$4,000, or both.
