10 people charged in separate cases over false declarations involving CPF or salary contributions

Ten people have been charged in two separate cases over allegedly making false declarations involving Central Provident Fund (CPF) and salary contributions.

In a statement issued on Oct 16, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the seven employers and an administrative assistant, aged between 31 and 61, were charged on Oct 8 for allegedly falsely declared that CPF contributions made by their companies were for local employees who did not actually work for them, or “phantom workers”.

The alleged false declarations were made to obtain work passes illegally, which are offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).

The eight people charged are:

• Hou Ruisheng, 43, Singaporean director of Harvest Ecotech

• Cao Yongliu, 52, Chinese director of Blue Sky Builder

• Wei Yan, 48, Chinese director of Anchang

• Wang Jianheng, 61, Singaporean director of Advanced Coretrades

• Lin Jian, 37, Singaporean sole proprietor of Wang Da Construction

• Zhao Ying, 45, Chinese director of Urban Builders

• Chen Pengfeng, 37, Singaporean director of He Jian Construction

• Yvonne Teo Peck Ling, 31, Singaporean administrative assistant of He Jian

Each of them was charged under EFMA with making false declarations in work pass applications.

Hou was also charged with allegedly obstructing an employment inspector by directing a person to sign backdated and falsified employment documents, thereby providing false information about the individual’s employment status.

Administrative financial penalties will also be imposed on three phantom workers for fraudulently receiving CPF contributions despite not working for these companies. In doing so, they abetted these companies in inflating their foreign worker quota.

In a separate case, two people were charged by MOM over false salary declarations under the EFMA.

The two people, who operated an Ayurvedic centre, were found guilty of paying two Employment Pass holders between $800 and $2,300 per month, significantly lower than their declared monthly salaries of $5,100 and $7,350 respectively. They will be sentenced at a later date.

A person convicted of making false declarations in work pass applications can be fined up to $20,000, jailed up to two years, or both.

Similarly, a person found guilty of obstructing investigations can be fined up to $20,000, jailed up to two years, or both.

People who provide their personal particulars to facilitate fraudulent CPF contributions by companies for the purpose of inflating their foreign worker quotas may also be prosecuted and face the same penalties.

Such entities or people convicted of such offences may be barred by MOM from employing foreign workers.

MOM reminds all employers and employment agencies that work pass fraud is a serious offence under the EFMA.

“Unlawful practices include making fraudulent CPF contributions to phantom workers to inflate foreign worker quotas and submitting false declarations of salaries or employment information in work pass applications,” MOM said in the press statement

The ministry added that it has stepped up investigations into suspected cases and will take firm enforcement actions against errant parties.

MOM also urged members of the public not to accept CPF contributions from employers they are not working for. It said doing so may constitute abetment of false declaration offences or abetment of the prescribed infringement of inflating a foreign worker quota.

Anyone who knows of such activities, or is aware of people or employers who may have contravened the EFMA, can report the matter via the “Report an Infringement” eService. MOM said all information provided will be kept strictly confidential.