SINGAPORE (TIP): Singapore has charged 22 Indians, including a woman, with providing false salary information to obtain their work permits, the manpower ministry said on Wednesday. The 10 people from a group of 22 Indian nationals faces up to seven weeks in jail after they pleaded guilty on Tuesday. They would also be permanently banned from working in the city state. For the remaining 12, one would go for pre-trial on February 28 while 11 others have sought an adjournment for their cases.

The group of 21 males and 1 woman, aged between 24 and 39, had made false statements to the Controller of Work Passes between November 2010 and September 2013 in connection with the applications for 19 Employment Passes (EPs) and three S Passes (SPs). They were employed by four separate companies. The Ministry stressed that applicants for EPs or SPs must meet the minimum salary requirement. However, the accused persons knew that their employers would pay them less than the amounts declared, it said. The Ministry said it would separately take action against the employers and the employment agents involved. Offenders face fine up to 20,000 Singapore dollars and/or imprisoned up to two years for having made false declaration under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.