Offered up to $3,000 for fake union

Singaporean Mohamed Ja'ali Ja'affar Shadik, 26, offered up to $3,000 to Singaporeans prepared to help foreigners live here by marrying them.

There would be no sex involved and the couple would not even have to live together after their sham marriage.

Mohamed Ja'ali, a part-time mover, made money too, pocketing $12,200 from three sham unions.

He arranged for the Singaporeans - two women and a man - to marry Indian nationals.

One of the foreigners, Bikramjit Singh, 31, was a waiter hoping to work here.

While still in India, he was told that he could improve his chances of getting a work permit if he married a Singaporean.

A fellow Indian introduced him to a man known only as Ali, Mohamed Ja'ali's accomplice. Bikramjit paid $13,000 to have a sham marriage arranged and was introduced to Nur Adilah Fitriah Rosli, 24, a Singaporean cleaning supervisor.

They registered their marriage in 2013.

Nur Adilah was promised $3,000 by Mohamed Ja'ali, but was only paid $800 after the marriage was solemnised. It is not known what happened to the remaining $2,200.

In 2013, Mohamed Ja'ali was sentenced to nine months' jail, while Nur Adilah and Bikramjit were each sentenced to six months' jail.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority is investigating Ali. Its spokesman said Mohamed Ja'ali was not part of a syndicate.

This article was first published on March 1, 2015.
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