Melbourne: Australian immigration
authorities are probing claims against the owner of two
Sydney-based Indian restaurants, who allegedly accepted large
payments to provide false documents to migrant workers seeking
permanent residency.
Nandalcumaran Krishnakanth, a former chef at Tribeni
and Kashi restaurants, has claimed that his employer asked the
staff to pay between USD 1300 and USD 12,000 for help in
gaining permanent residency, Sydney Morning Herald said today.
The allegations were made in an unfair dismissal case
before Fair Work Australia, against Saai Bose Pvt Ltd.
In return for the money, the company's director at the
time, Arun Bose, would fill out fake skills certificates
showing that the staff had completed the 900 hours of work
experience needed to apply for permanent residency, the
commission was told.
Krishnakanth said Bose also asked for money to provide
glowing work references to assist in the application process.
"Bose would say, 'Pay me USD 1300 and I'll give you
the certificate that you worked as a chef and performed
certain duties'," Krishnakanth told the tribunal.
The certificate would be provided whether the person
had worked for the restaurant or not, he said.
The commission was also shown an extract of Bose's
time and wages record in which four months of records appeared
to have been filled out at the same time.
The commissioner, deputy president Peter Sams, said
the entries were "most suspicious" and appeared to have been
back-dated.
Bose denied the allegations, stating that nothing was
falsified and all legal requirements were met during his time
as director.
He sold the company last year and it is now in
liquidation.
"There was one 457 (visa) employee who claimed unfair
dismissal... He was making stories," Bose said.
Fair Work Australia has referred the matter to the
Department of Immigration, which has mobilised staff from a
number of different units to investigate.
The investigation will also include allegations that
staff were underpaid and denied some entitlements.
"These are allegations which the department takes very
seriously," a spokeswoman said.
"In the case of alleged criminal activity we would
bring any allegations we find through the appropriate courts".
The department revealed it had already been
investigating Saai Bose's involvement in the operation of the
457 visa programme.
-PTI
First Published: Friday, July 30, 2010, 22:50