Two Vietnamese people jailed for fake marriage

The Straits Times reported that two Vietnamese women and two Singaporeans were sentenced to at least six months in prison for their part in a sham marriage.

This newspaper cited documents recently released by the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) stating that in 2014, a Vietnamese woman named Nguyen Thi Mong Tuyen, 36 years old, approached her friend Tran Thi Cam Nhung, 31 years old, to ask about how to stay and work in Singapore.

Tran Thi Cam Nhung with her husband Cheong Mun Siong. Photo from CNA

At that time, Nhung showed Tuyen how to get into a fake marriage. Nhung said that her husband, Cheong Mun Siong (Singaporean, 39 years old), could arrange a fake marriage for Tuyen with his friend, Lee Poh Chiew, 49 years old. In return, Tuyen paid 8,000 SGD (more than 130 million VND) to Cheong and 1,100 SGD to Lee. Tuyen also paid Lee 400 SGD/month to act as a sponsor for her immigration application.

On 21 November 2014, Lee and Tuyen registered their marriage, with Cheong as one of the witnesses. After discovering the sham marriage, ICA officials arrested Lee and Tuyen on 27 April 2015. Nearly a month later, the couple was sentenced to 6 months in prison. On 6 January 2016, Nhung and her husband were also arrested. On 17 April, Cheong was sentenced to 7 months in prison and fined SGD 8,000, while Nhung was sentenced to 6 months in prison.

According to TNO