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A 37-year-old manager was charged with falsely making a marriage certificate and going through a form of marriage without solemnisation today.
Jerome Ow Siew Nam allegedly went through a marriage with a woman named Ng Siew Chiau at a flat in Tampines on Feb 14, 2007, without solemnisation. This makes the marriage void.
Shin Min Daily News reported that Ow had made the woman pregnant, and was forced to marry her. Their sham marriage ceremony was witnessed by her family and friends.
But Ow often disappeared after their 'marriage', which aroused Ng's suspicions. After making a police report, she discovered that her marriage was not recognised by the law. The news was further verified after she sent an email copy of her marriage certificate to the Registry of Marriages.
The Chinese evening daily also reported that Ow already has a wife who is of Thai nationality, and he also has a son with the latter. He also had a previous marriage to another woman named Huang Feng Ling in 1996, when he was 23. However, that marriage ended in a divorce in 2002. He married his Thai wife in November 2004. He is not divorced from his Thai wife.
Ow had not disclosed his marriage to Ng, but only told her that he had a previous relationship. He also did not inform her that he has a son.
Ng's mother also told Shin Min Daily News that she had brought Ow home to meet the family before they went through their marriage ceremony. He appeared gentlemanly and did not look like a cheat.
She said: "My daughter only knew she was cheated after the marriage." She refused to comment further and believes that her daughter has already aborted her pregnancy.
A pre-trial conference has been set for Jan 10.
If convicted of forging the marriage certificate, he can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to $10,000.
The other offence of going through a marriage ceremony without solemnisation is punishable with up to three years' jail and a $5,000 fine.
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