Singapore Employment Agent Jailed and Barred from Industry for Fraudulent Work Permit Scheme

A Singaporean employment agent, Lee Peck Li, has been sentenced to four weeks in jail and barred from the employment agency industry for fraudulently obtaining a work permit for a foreigner. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced the verdict, revealing that Lee was the sales director and employment agency personnel of C1EA.

The 44-year-old Lee was sentenced under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and faced another charge of making a false statement, which was considered during sentencing. His conviction stems from a case in which he conspired with others to fraudulently obtain a work permit for a Chinese national named Li Guiyu.

Court documents showed that Lee was approached by an overseas agent named “Siqi” in September 2021, seeking his assistance to secure a work pass for Li Guiyu, who intended to search for odd jobs in Singapore. Lee agreed to help as part of an arrangement to receive referrals from Siqi for other genuine work pass applicants.

Lee conspired with Siqi and others to obtain the work permit, despite knowing that Li Guiyu had no intention of working for the company listed in the application. The work permit was issued in October 2021, but Li Guiyu did not perform any work for the company and was later arrested for engaging in vice activities.

MOM emphasized that making false declarations in work pass applications is a serious offense and can lead to fines, jail terms, or both. It also highlighted that errant employers could face work pass privileges suspension, and work pass applicants could be barred from working in Singapore.