Clinica Internationale, a Box Hill cleaning company, and its managing director Radovan Laski have been fined more than $1 million for a scamming dozens of hopeful migrant workers.
On 9 February, federal court judge Debra Mortimer found Mr Laski ‘made misleading representations and engaged in unconscionable conduct by having at least 97 Indian workers pay a combined $800,000 in return for a 187 Visa, which allows a skilled worker to get permanent residency in Australia if they are sponsored by a regional employer,’ reported The Age.
‘Under the program, which operated between 2012 and 2013, clients were told they would qualify for residency by completing a training course and working in a regional cleaning job,’ specified the Herald Sun. ‘They were also told Clinica had regional cleaning jobs with sponsoring employers.’
According to The Age article, however, ‘Mr Laski failed to find many of the workers the promised jobs and sponsorship, and instead sent some of them to work as unskilled labourers in abattoirs.’
Justice Mortimer found that Mr Laski was aware he had ‘no jobs to offer and that his program could not have qualified migrants for permanent residency,’ continued the Sun.
“The way Clinica and Mr Laski preyed on the dreams of people about obtaining secure and long-term residency and employment in Australia, is one of the features of this scheme most deserving of the court’s condemnation,” Justice Mortimer said in The Age.
What’s more, Justice Mortimer found that clients who signed up ‘were exposed to “harsh” fees of $5,000 if they withdrew from the scheme. Mr Laski also threatened workers he would initiate court action or contact the Department of Immigration if they did not pay the money they had agreed to,’ noted The Age.
‘The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last year began federal court proceedings against Clinica and Mr Laski.’
‘Justice Mortimer fined Clinica $700,000 and Mr Laski $325,000, and ordered the workers be paid back the money they had paid. She also banned Mr Laski from serving as a managing director of any corporation for five years.’