Indian national convicted for using unlicensed employment agent
Posted: 22 March 2013 1326 hrs
SINGAPORE: A 23-year-old Indian national has become the first employer to be convicted for using an unlicensed employment agent to hire a foreigner.
In February 2011, Sadh Aakash Raman engaged Balaguru S/O Amirthalingam to submit a work pass application for the foreigner, who is his uncle, to be hired as a general manager.
Sadh, the director of Times Supermarket, agreed to pay Balaguru $6,000 in agent fees once the application was approved by the manpower ministry.
He also gave his SingPass details to the unlicensed employment agent to submit the application.
Sadh pleaded guilty to one charge of engaging the services of an unlicensed employment agent.
He was also convicted of one charge of illegally employing a foreigner without a valid work pass.
Another three illegal employment charges against him were taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing.
In total, Sadh was fined $4,500 and will have to spend 18 days in jail if he can't pay the fine.
This is the first time the Ministry of Manpower successfully prosecuted an employer for such an offence, since the revised Employment Agencies Act came into effect in April 2011.
In 2012, six employers were offered composition for similar offences.
- CNA/fa