An immigration consultant pleaded not guilty in the Auckland District Court today to charges of running a scam that forced dozens of Indian and Bangladeshi men to live in overcrowded homes without work or pay.
The defendant appeared before Magistrate Steve Bonnar KC where he requested a trial by jury. The judge granted a temporary ban on his name until his next court appearance.
He was arrested on 20 October and charged with providing false information to New Zealand Immigration. This followed a raid on his home and business. The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment or a fine of up to $100,000.
In a statement released last week, Immigration New Zealand alleged the consultant was involved in a ‘complex scam’ that sold false job offers to offshore migrants.
Many of the men had paid between $20,000 and $40,000 for a job and a false work visa, but when they arrived in the country they found the jobs did not exist.
INZ’s National Investigations Manager, Stephanie Greathead, said the scam exploited the vulnerability of those who’d come to provide for their families.
“The footage of migrants being housed in appalling conditions in Auckland has shocked New Zealand and undermined confidence in our immigration system.”
It’s understood the consultant’s licence is still valid.
In a statement, the national manager for professional regulation at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Duncan Connor, told 1News that by law, an immigration adviser cannot hold an active licence if they have been convicted of an offence under the Immigration Act.
“It is important to note that this provision is only effective if the charges result in a conviction,” he said.
The workers’ plight came to light earlier this year, with reports that they had been lured here with offers of work that didn’t exist. They’d arrived under the Accredited Work Visa Scheme.
The scheme is under independent review following concerns that in many cases employers weren’t being checked.
Immigration said investigations were ongoing and further charges were likely.
