THE director of a cleaning company was fined $202,800 after he was convicted on 36 charges of hiring illegal foreign workers.

Vincent Goh Seng How, of C.X.M General Contractor Pte Ltd, and also a partner of 2001 Image Enterprise, was also convicted of obstructing an employment inspector from carrying out investigations.

His company was also fined $81,400 for 11 charges of illegal employment offences. Another 21 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing on Nov 20.

MOM's investigations revealed that between July 2002 and September 2006, Goh had illegally deployed 94 construction and marine workers from his companies, C.X.M. General Contractor and 2001 Image Enterprise, to perform cleaning and sweeping tasks at various housing estates. Goh also illegally employed seven foreign workers without work permits to work as conservancy workers.

In August 2005, Goh compounded his offences further by attempting to hinder MOM's investigations.

He had wilfully obstructed an employment inspector from interviewing one of his foreign workers for illegal employment offences by instructing the worker to leave the country, said the statement.

The foreign worker was suspected to be illegally deployed by Goh to work as a conservancy worker. He was subsequently arrested by ICA officers when he tried to re-enter Singapore.

C.X.M General Contractor was previously fined $10,500 in August 2004 for illegal employment of foreigners without valid work permits.

'While MOM has eased foreign workforce rules to support Singapore's growing manpower needs, it will not let up on efforts to hold to task, employers who deliberately flout the rules. The enhanced Employment of Foreign Manpower Act also means that errant offenders will face heavier penalties,' said Mr Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division.

Any person caught employing foreigners without valid work permits will be charged in court.

Since July 1, the penalties for illegal employment offences have been enhanced under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). A first-time offender faces a fine of up to $15,000 for each foreign worker, or imprisonment of up to one year, or both - on top of the the restitution of any levy evaded.

For the second and subsequent conviction, the penalty will be a mandatory jail sentence of one to 12 months, in addition to a fine up to $15,000.

The Ministry urges anyone with specific information on such employment offences to contact MOM at 64385122 or via e-mail at mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg.