Man gets jail for harbouring immigration offender, who fell to her death while evading arrest
File photo of a gavel. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
SINGAPORE: A 47-year-old man was on Friday (May 27) sentenced to eight months' jail for harbouring an immigration offender, who fell to her death while trying to evade arrest two years ago.
Chan Kok Keong had rented two units, at Kembangan Plaza and Eunos Crescent, said the the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a news release.
The Singaporean then signed tenancy agreements to allow a friend - female Chinese national Gong Xiuxian - to stay and manage both units from July to September 2019 and from October 2019 to November 2020, added ICA.
Chan claimed that he assumed Gong held a valid Dependant’s Pass and thus did not verify her immigration status.
“Investigations revealed that Gong had overstayed in Singapore since 2014,” said ICA.
On Nov 2, 2020, ICA officers conducted checks on the unit at Eunos Crescent.
Gong tried to avoid arrest and climbed out of the unit’s bedroom window, but fell off the window ledge to the ground floor.
She was pronounced dead on-site by paramedics.
"For not exercising due diligence to ascertain if Gong’s immigration pass was valid when he allowed her to stay at the unit located at Eunos Crescent, Chan had committed an offence of harbouring an immigration offender with reckless disregard under the Immigration Act," said ICA.
The agency reminded those who wish to rent out their premises to exercise due diligence in checking the immigration status of their prospective foreign tenants.
It listed three mandatory steps: Check the tenant's original immigration or work pass; cross check the particulars on the pass against the passport's; and verify the validity of the pass with the issuing authority.
Anyone convicted of harbouring overstayers or illegal immigrants recklessly (by carrying out only one of the three checks) or knowingly may be sentenced to imprisonment for a presumptive minimum term of not less than six months and not more than two years, and a fine of up to S$6,000.
If found guilty of harbouring overstayers or illegal immigrants negligently (by carrying out only two of the three diligence checks), they can be jailed for up to 12 months, fined up to S$6,000 or both.
