Man has sham marriage for $1,700
Ng Jun Sen
The New Paper
Monday, Apr 07, 2014
SINGAPORE - He told the media and the police that his marriage was ruined by someone who stole his identity to marry a foreigner.
But groom-to-be Mohamad Norizuan Shazali, 26, was the one who had married the foreigner, all for $1,700.
He denied it to the police when his intended marriage to his fiancee, Miss Sharafana Mohamad Shariff, 18, fell through.
Norizuan acted the innocent, even telling the media that someone had stolen his identity.
In court yesterday, Norizuan came clean and pleaded guilty to one count of providing false information to the police and one count of mischief. Another charge of criminal breach of trust was taken into consideration.
FALSE INFORMATION
He made the news in February when he told The New Paper that he was unable to get married because someone had used his lost IC in a sham marriage.
Records at the Registry of Muslim Marriages had shown that a man with his name and IC had married a woman from India in 2012.
He then made a police report at Kampong Java Neighbourhood Police Centre, telling Special Constabulary Sergeant Muhammad Irsyad Khalis Daud that someone had used his identity to register a civil marriage without his knowledge.
He was warned of the consequences of lodging a false police report, but Norizuan affirmed his statement to be true.
Investigations later revealed that he had known of and taken part in the marriage ceremony.
The court heard that Norizuan had done it because he was in need of money in 2012.
He met an acquaintance and was offered $1,700 to register a sham marriage with a foreigner.
On July 16 that year, he provided his personal particulars and applied for a civil marriage with a foreign woman.
About a month later, he met the acquaintance and a Ms Chauhan Swaran Lata to register his marriage to her at the Registry of Marriages.
They solemnised their marriage in Banana Leaf Apolo restaurant at Race Course Road later that day.
Three others - a licensed solemniser and two women - witnessed the ceremony.
They were also witnesses in the court case.
