{"id":58506,"date":"2022-08-30T12:26:39","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T04:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/?p=58506"},"modified":"2022-10-14T16:59:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T08:59:54","slug":"tenancy-agreement-pop-up-brothel-man-unaware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/tenancy-agreement-pop-up-brothel-man-unaware\/","title":{"rendered":"After signing tenancy agreement for a “friend”, man found himself in court as it was used for a “pop-up” brothel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In August 2022, the High Court dismissed the appeal of a man charged with signing tenancy agreements for an apartment unit that was later used as a brothel.<\/p>\n

In submitting his appeal, one of the man’s defence was that he was unaware they were for illicit activities. Other arguments submitted include no government agencies regulating tenancy agreements and that there was no financial harm caused to the landlord since the rental deposit was pre-paid.<\/p>\n

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How he got into the sticky situation<\/h2>\n

The man first got acquainted with the elusive “brothel operator” while he was in prison in 2018.<\/p>\n

Upon his release, he asked the “operator” if there was any way for him to earn some money.<\/p>\n

The “operator” then offered the man “easy money”. All he needed to do was to contact a property agent and express interest in renting an apartment.<\/p>\n

When asked by the real estate agent what he was renting the apartment for, the man told her he was in “the business of fitness equipment”, and he would be occupying the unit with two co-tenants.<\/p>\n

He submitted the required NRICs, including from the two ‘supposed’ co-tenants provided by the “operator” to the agent.<\/p>\n

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In October 2019, the Singapore Police Force raided two seemingly ordinary HDB flats in Woodlands and arrested six suspects for illegal vice trade. They were aged between 25 and 45. (Image credit: Ashley Tuen and Soo Jun Xiang, on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In January 2019, he signed the first tenancy agreement with the landlord, which spanned 12 months with a payable rent of S$3,200 a month. In the agreement itself, the man deceived the landlord into believing that:<\/p>\n