Chinese national, 39, charged in 2021 for allegedly getting S’porean to purchase property on his behalf in 2014

If convicted, the accused faces a fine of up to S$100,000.

Matthias Ang | December 13, 2021, 03:02 PM

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A 39-year-old Chinese national has been charged in court for allegedly appointing a Singaporean nominee to purchase a restricted property in September 2014 and hold it in trust for him, the police said in a press release following investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department.

Singaporean allegedly made an offer to Chinese national

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the Chinese national, Chen Xiaopu, was supposedly made an offer by a Singaporean, Song Fanrong, about purchasing a unit at Belgravia Villas in Ang Mo Kio.

Song had purportedly told Chen he would not be eligible to buy the unit in his own name as he was a foreigner.

Song then allegedly offered to buy the property on Chen's behalf and to transfer the ownership of the property to Chen once the Chinese national had obtained his Singapore citizenship or permanent residency.

Chen supposedly accepted the offer and made partial payment to Song for the purchase of the unit.

The police added that Song then purportedly entered into a Sales and Purchase agreement with the developer of the property, which was classified as a restricted property.

Faces a fine of up to S$100,000 or jail term of up to three years

Under the Residential Property Act, restricted property includes vacant residential land, terrace houses, semi-detached houses, bungalows or detached houses, and strata landed houses not within an approved condominium development under the Planning Act, among others.

If Chen is convicted, he could be fined up to S$100,000, jailed up to three years, or be subjected to both.

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