A billionaire heir to a property tycoon in Shenzhen, China, has been accused of masterminding a fake marriage scheme to obtain Shenzhen residency and matching surname for the illegitimate child he had from an extramarital affair. He allegedly sought out, via an intermediary, a man with the same surname as himself to register a marriage with his mistress. The case recently came to light after his legal wife alerted the police. The involved man surnamed Liu has since been placed under criminal detention by authorities, and the property tycoon’s son is under police investigation on suspicion of bigamy.
The key figure in the case, Mr. Liu residing in Shenzhen, told reporters that in 2019, after suffering a failed business venture, he accumulated tens of thousands of yuan in debt. Later, through a classmate, he was introduced to Mr. Wang, who was in the business of "assisting with residency registration." Mr. Wang suggested that Liu enter into a “fake marriage” with an unmarried pregnant woman. After the woman successfully transferred her household registration (hukou) to Shenzhen and completed the procedures for her newborn, both parties would divorce, and Liu would receive substantial compensation.
● Debtor Agrees to Fake Marriage for 300,000 Yuan Reward
Strapped for cash, Mr. Liu agreed to the arrangement. In April 2020, he and the woman first went to a notary office to notarize her assets, then officially registered their marriage. Over the next two years, he followed instructions to hand over his household registration documents to assist with the transfer process. The woman and her child eventually obtained Shenzhen residency, and the couple formally divorced in June 2022. During this period, Liu received a total of 300,000 yuan (about 171,000 ringgit) in payments.
Mr. Liu thought the matter was over, but suddenly in January this year, the Shenzhen police summoned him as a witness in a bigamy investigation.
● Wife Exposes Husband’s Bigamy
According to reports, the son of a well-known property tycoon surnamed Liu in the region was implicated after being reported to the police by his legal wife of over ten years, Ms. Cheng. Cheng accused her husband of openly cohabiting as “husband and wife” with another woman during their marriage, resulting in a child. She also presented the police with extensive evidence, including the couple’s marriage certificate, the child’s birth documents, and photos of her husband hosting a 100-day banquet for the mistress’s son.
Cheng further alleged that her husband specifically arranged, through an agency, for a man with the same surname – the aforementioned Mr. Liu – to help his mistress and two illegitimate children obtain Shenzhen residency and to ensure the children would be registered under the “Liu” surname. It is understood that after the incident came to light, the property tycoon’s son fled abroad for a time before being persuaded to return and was then granted bail pending trial.