Fake contracts land man in court

By Shen Shushu Source:Global Times Published: 2013-2-19 23:13:02

A 33-year-old Hubei Province man has been sentenced to one year of probation for using phony employment contracts to help foreigners get work visas, Huangpu District People's Court said Tuesday.

The defendant, named Lu Tao, pleaded guilty to selling official residency documents, according to a press release from the court. The court also fined him 1,000 yuan ($161).

Lu used his position as a legal representative for an investment consulting company in Shanghai to provide his foreign "clients" with phony labor contract they could use to get a work visa from local authorities.

In April 2012, a Pakistani citizen named Abbas Qasir paid Lu 10,000 yuan to sign a labor contract with Lu's company, even though the company never actually hired the man. Qasir offered to pay Lu 16,000 yuan in total to help him get a residence permit that would allow him to legally stay in China after his original visa expired.

Lu went to the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau on Qasir's behalf to get him a foreign residence permit.

Police caught Lu in August 2012. Lu told police that he had taken money in exchange for helping expatriates obtain the permits. He admitted that he had earned another 2,000 yuan in 2011 and 2012 for helping another foreigner extend a work visa on two occasions.

The court sentenced Lu to one year of detention, but suspended the sentence so he could serve probation. Lu will only spend time in detention if he fails to meet the terms of his probation.

The court said it gave Lu a lenient sentence because he pleaded guilty voluntarily.

A defendant can be sentenced to more than five years in prison for selling more than five immigration documents.

Under Chinese regulations, foreigners who use false documents to obtain visas can have their visas revoked, said Li Feng, a press officer for the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau.



Posted in: Society, Metro Shanghai

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