Singapore — In an attempt to get a Special Pass allowing her to stay in Singapore legally, a sex worker had sex with an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer for free and even offered him bribes to ensure her stay.
On Friday (Dec 17), China national Liang Qinglan, 38, pleaded guilty to three charges of corruptly giving gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act and one charge under the Women’s Charter for using three websites to offer paid sexual services. Eight other charges were considered during sentencing.
Liang was sentenced to 25 weeks’ imprisonment and fined S$8,000.
She had arrived in Singapore with a social visit pass in 2018. When her pass eventually expired, Liang became an overstayer yet continued offering sex services.
Liang met co-accused ICA Checkpoints Inspector Teo Hwee Peng, now 48, through an acquaintance.
Around the latter half of 2018, Liang contacted Teo through WeChat and asked him for help to get a Special Pass.
A Special Pass is issued only by the Ministry of Manpower and ICA, which legalises a foreigner’s stay in Singapore. It is given for a special purpose, such as an individual assisting in an investigation, attending court, and stateless persons residing in Singapore.
In return for his assistance, Teo asked for an iPhone, to which Liang agreed.
The two met one night in 2018 when Teo allegedly invited himself over to Liang’s flat in Jurong West.
Upon entering, Teo hugged Liang and asked if she had a condom. Liang understood this as a request for sex in exchange for the Special Pass, reported Channel News Asia.
Teo did not pay for the sex, and neither did Liang ask him to pay, as she knew it was wrong to provide sexual services to an ICA officer.
When Liang asked about getting the Special Pass, Teo described the process as well as how to answer the questions that she would be asked.
Teo also said the process involved an arrest and advised Liang to wear long-sleeved clothing because it might be cold.
On Oct 16, 2018, Liang was arrested during a joint operation by ICA and the police. Liang provided the answers Teo coached her to say and agreed to assist with investigations.
After paying a composition fine for her offences, Liang acquired a Special Pass.
From there, the two met several times, with Teo asking Liang for a loan of 5,000 yuan (S$1,072) on one occasion. Afraid she might lose her Special Pass, Liang agreed and transferred the amount.
It was reported that Teo had returned S$1,000 to her. His earlier request for an iPhone also changed to a cash reward of about S$2,100.
In November 2020, Liang began renting a flat in Jurong West, where she began accepting customers the following day.
Special Pass holders are not allowed to work in Singapore. “If a foreigner wishes to work in Singapore, he or she is required to apply for a work pass from MOM,” notes ICA on its website.
“SP holders who are found working without a valid work pass would have committed an offence and will be dealt with under the relevant laws,” the agency added.
Liang charged S$120 per hour, attracting customers through online advertisements across three websites which she paid about 500 yuan per month for the listings.
Between November 2020 and January 2021, Liang had about 90 customers and remitted about S$8,000 of her earnings to her family in China, reported CNA.
For her offences, the prosecutor asked for 12 to 16 weeks’ jail for each corruption charge and an additional “short” jail term and a fine of S$8,000 for the Women’s Charter charge.
Meanwhile, defence lawyer Foo Ho Chew asked to lower the sentence, noting Liang was a mother to a five-year-old boy and was abandoned by the child’s father. Liang also provides for her mother and came to Singapore looking for work with little formal education, said Mr Foo.
“Everything she does, she does for them. This, unfortunately, would also include corruptly giving inducement to (Teo) so that she could extend her stay here to continue to earn income for them by providing sexual services,” said Mr Foo.
“It was not always easy for her to understand the significance of public sector corruption, or how the corruption of public servants if allowed to go on, would undermine public sector confidence in public service,” he explained.
“Your honour, she came from a land where it is a prevalent practice for people to give a token of appreciation to public officers to help them with permits and government service applications.”
However, District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt said that just because something is customary, it is not a defence, as stated in Singapore’s Prevention of Corruption Act.
As Liang had already pleaded guilty, he was prepared to grant a sentence lower than what the prosecution requested.
Teo is scheduled to return to court for a pre-trial conference this month. He faces multiple charges related to Liang and another woman from China. /TISG
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