Singaporean sentenced to jail for using Philippine passport obtained through 'dubious' channels
A Singaporean businessman has been sentenced to jail after it was found that he had been using a Philippine passport to pass Singapore's immigration checkpoints 46 times between 2011 and 2012.
Goh Chin Soon claimed that he obtained the travel document to leave China as he was in danger from "corrupt officials" in the country. He had used the passport to get around requirements imposed on bankrupt individuals.
According to his Philippine passport, Goh was a Filipino citizen named "Boris Jacinto Ngo" born in 1967.
"The accused’s actions were highly premeditated, as he took steps to obtain the misleading passport through dubious channels so that he could circumvent the requirements imposed on him by the IPTO (Insolvency and Public Trustee’s Office), given his status as an undischarged bankrupt," the prosecution said, as per the Strait Times.
On Aug. 28, the businessman was sentenced to 15 months and six weeks in jail after being convicted of 69 charges under the Immigration Act for presenting a misleading document to immigration officers.
How he got a Philippine passport
Channel News Asia reported that Goh obtained a Philippine passport after he "fell prey to corrupt officials" eyeing his land and properties. He claimed his previous passport and ID were seized when Chinese authorities arrested him after he was allegedly falsely misaligned for possessing ammunition.
He tried to reapply for a Singapore passport in 2010 but failed to get one due to unresolved bankruptcy issues.
According to the Singapore Ministry of Law, a bankrupt individual can only travel with permission from the Official Assignee.
To leave China, Goh paid $250,000 (~P14 million) to a friend, a Mr. Cai You Zhang, who arranged for an agent, a Mr. Huang, to get him a Philippine passport.
The court heard that Goh believed his passport was legitimate as the certain Huang said he "went to every department in the Philippines" to get it done.
Goh used the counterfeit travel document to enter Singapore in March 2011 and continued to do so despite successfully renewing his Singaporean passport.
Court documents, as per Strait Times, revealed that Goh had never been to the Philippines or a Philippine embassy to apply for the said passport.
Goh was caught and arrested on Sept. 7, 2012 at Changi Airport when he presented his Philippine passport at a checkpoint to board a plane to Hong Kong.
The businessman aims to appeal against his conviction on Aug. 28. His bail was set at $200,000 (P11.3 million).
Only Filipino citizens are entitled to a Philippine passport.