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Singaporean man who committed bigamy by marrying in Mauritius jailed 24 weeks

Marriage cake visual: Getty Images
Marriage cake visual: Getty Images

SINGAPORE — A man whose marriage to a Malaysian woman in Mauritius was discovered by his Singaporean wife was sentenced to 24 weeks’ jail for bigamy on Friday (1 October).

Yeo Sick Kong, a 55-year-old Singaporean, was still married to Mdm Tan, a 44-year-old Singaporean, when the latter filed a police report in October 2018 that she found a marriage certificate issued in Mauritius on 23 September 2011 inside her husband’s bag.

The names of Yeo and a 47-year-old Malaysian woman, Mdm Ooi, were printed on the marriage certificate. Tan stated that she did not file a police report immediately in order to give her marriage with Yeo a chance at reconciliation.

Yeo was married to Tan in 2005 and they have a 15-year-old daughter. He was previously married to another woman, Mdm Quah, and they later divorced.

Sometime in December 2018, Yeo filed for divorce from Tan. On 14 October 2019, the Family Justice Court issued an interim judgment on the application. Proceedings for the divorce are ongoing and as at 22 September 2021, a final judgment has not been granted.

In 2006, Yeo befriended Ooi in the course of his work and they began a sexual relationship sometime in 2007. Yeo told Ooi that he was divorced, but showed her the divorce certificate from his union with Quah.

Yeo did not at any point disclose his marriage with Tan to Ooi. He also did not reveal to Tan that he was having an affair with Ooi.

Sometime in early 2011, Yeo proposed marriage to Ooi, who agreed. They registered their marriage in Mauritius on 23 September 2011 despite Yeo knowing he was still married to Tan in Singapore. The authenticity of his marriage certificate issued in Mauritius was confirmed by the Mauritian authorities.

From 2011 to 2018, Yeo shuttled between Tan’s and Ooi’s places of residence. When questioned by either woman, Yeo lied that he had an offshore project that required him to be physically present to supervise the works.

Yeo could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined for his offence under the Penal Code read with the Women’s Charter.

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