MOM Prosecutes Four in Tipper Case

AsiaOne published this story on 19 March 2009:

MOM prosecutes four in Tipper case

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecuted four employers today for failing to pay the salaries of their foreign employers on time.

Last December, work permit holders under Tipper Corp Pte Ltd reported to MOM that they were not given regular work and they were owed salaries.

Loke Siew Fai, the director of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd, was then ordered by the MOM to pay the salaries owed to the workers within two weeks. He now faces the most number of charges among the four employers charged by MOM.

His 145 charges include charges of failing to pay salaries, abetting Paul Lee Chiang Theng (Director, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd and S1 Engineering Pte Ltd) and Sockalingam Uthayanan of UPNB Engineering Pte Ltd of illegal employment, and giving false information with the purpose of hiring phantom workers.

Lee, meanwhile, is being charged for illegal employment of Tipper's workers, failure to pay salary to Gates Offshore workers and Goldrich Venture workers, and failure to provide acceptable accommodation.

Uthayanan and Han Meng Siew of Ensure Engineering Pte Ltd are both being charged for for illegal employment of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd's workers.

"The accused employers deliberately brought in workers for which there was no prospect of regular work, failed to provide for their proper maintenance through non-payment of salaries for months and housed them in unacceptable accommodation," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division.

Majority of the foreign workers chose to return home after receiving their salaries. They were assisted by the MOM in their repatriation.

About fifty who chose to remain in Singapore were able to find jobs in the marine sector.

MOM has stepped up ground operations to detect and bring to book employers who have committed offences such as illegal employment, providing unacceptable accommodation and failing to pay salaries.

Employers convicted of failing to pay salaries can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to six months or both, for each foreign worker.

Meanwhile, for illegal employment, a first-time offender faces a fine up to $15,000 or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, for each foreign worker. They will also have to repay the levy evaded.

"We will keep up our operations on the ground against such errant employers, and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions under the law," said Aw.