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Funny that his man is now making accusations of fraud and all the time he was quiet.

 

Canadian visa scamâ€ĶMore victims surface

JANUARY 25, 2009 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 
“I gat a contact in the High Commissioner Office in Trinidad” â€“ Con man tells them

As news of a big Canadian visa racket spreads, more Guyanese have come forward to disclose how they were fleeced of thousands of Canadian dollars by an Immigration Consultant and his local accomplice.

Yesterday, five more persons reported that they had paid over various sums of money amounting to more than CDN$25,000 to Immigration Consultant Balwant Persaud and his associate, Alim Samad, for them to secure Canadian Student Visas.

However, after several months, they are still waiting on the visas, and calls to the local associate for a refund of their monies are unsuccessful.

They now intend to involve the police in the matter.

One of the victims, who hails from the island of Wakenaam, told this newspaper that he learnt about the offer after seeing an advertisement in the local newspapers.

He then contacted Balwant Persaud at his office in Georgetown, and was advised of the details of the agreement that included the fee of CDN$12,000.

The victim said that his mother, who resides in North America, eventually paid over CDN$6,000 to Persaud in Canada as an advance.

He also handed over his passport, and was told to await instructions on when to go for a medical examination.

Two weeks later, Persaud contacted him and invited him and several other persons to his office in Georgetown, claiming that a problem had developed.

At the office, the victim and several other persons were introduced to Alim Samad, whom Persaud claimed was his associate who will be taking over the arrangements.

They were made to sign a document relieving Persaud of all the responsibilities of obtaining the visas for them. Samad was now in charge, since Persaud was returning to Canada.

Subsequently, a document confirming acceptance to the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning was handed over to the victim, and obviously he was convinced that the transaction was genuine.

What he did not know was that the document could have been obtained on the Internet.

The next step was to obtain the medical.

However, according to the victim, Samad insisted that he had a special doctor to look after it, although the victim had his own family doctor.

The victim was told that, should the stipulated time for obtaining the medical expire, the advanced CDN$6,000 would be forfeited.

Things got worse when the stipulated time for the medical to be presented expired, and the victim became suspicious.

“We would normally meet him (Samad) in his car outside of Demico House. From the time we met him, he told us that he does not have an office and he didn’t want anybody coming at his house,” the victim said.

Samad got bolder and demanded the rest of the money in exchange for the return of the victim’s passport.

But after a while, during which things did not materialize, the victim enquired about a refund of his money, which he claimed Samad agreed to.

But, since then, all contact with the alleged con man has been lost. Repeated calls to his cellular phone have been unsuccessful.

Another victim from Essequibo claimed that her uncle in Canada had also paid money to Balwant Persaud in Canada.

She, too, was subsequently introduced to Alim Samad for a continuation of the process.

After several weeks, she went to a city bank where she had earlier been instructed to prepare a bank draft in Canadian dollars to a fictitious agency, and found out that the money had not been uplifted.

She, too, became suspicious and tried contacting Samad for a refund of her money.

She even called Balwant Persaud in Canada, who told her that she should contact Samad, since he (Persaud) was no longer dealing with the matter.

Persaud also advised her to seek the services of an attorney.

“I told him that when he collected the money, I did not need a lawyer, so why should I need a lawyer now,” the woman told this newspaper.

She said that the last time she had contact with Alim Samad was in December last year, and he had promised to refund her money this January, but he has not done so.

Another female victim from Black Bush Polder related that she was told by Balwant Persaud that he was in a position to legally get her to Canada, and she fell for it.

Her sister who resides in Canada paid over the advance sum of CDN$6,000 to Persaud in Canada.

She, too, was subsequently introduced to Alim Samad by Persaud, and it was then her troubles started.

She paid over a further G$1.2M to Samad in his car at a location in Mahaica, but things weren’t moving as fast as promised.

“He kept telling me that he has a contact at the Canadian High Commission in Trinidad but he was not presently in office. He said that as soon as his contact was back in office things will move ahead,” the woman said.

Since last year she, too, has been trying to contact Samad to get a refund of her money.

“Somebody has to take away this man’s immigration licence,” the victim said.

A few years ago, the Canadian Government was forced to relocate its consular offices to Trinidad, because of a visa racket involving one of its staff.

It is believed that more than 20 persons have been conned in this current scheme, but many of them are too ashamed to come forward.

This newspaper is willing to assist other victims of the alleged scam, and they are advised to contact telephone numbers 225-8458, 225-8491 or 649-9591.

 

Canada-based Guyanese Immigration Consultant off to jail

FEBRUARY 13, 2009 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

After claiming he could obtain “Canadian visas” for a number of persons, Immigration Consultant Balwant Persaud, 54, of 57 Robb Street, Bourda, was yesterday slapped with two counts of obtaining money by false pretence and another of fraud.
It was alleged that Persaud on June 11, 2008 obtained $1.2M from Kampaul Jaipaul by falsely pretending that he could secure a Canadian student visa, knowing same to be false.
A second charge states that on August 7, 2008, also with the intent to defraud, he obtained $1M from Nadira Mohan under the same pretext. Another charge states that Persaud, with intent to defraud, on July 5, 2008, informed a number of students that he can obtain Canadian documents for them, knowing that this could not be the case.
Persaud pleaded not guilty to all charges before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
He was represented by attorney-at-law Glenn Hanoman, who in an unsuccessful bid to secure bail told the court that Persaud is not a “con artist” but a “certified Immigration Consultant”.
Hanoman further told the court that Persaud was released on $50,000 station bail. He also has no pervious convictions.
The lawyer further explained that a man by the name of “Alim Samad” was and is the real culprit. Hanoman said that Samad was arrested, questioned, then released, leaving his client Balwant Persaud to be charged for the present offences.
The lawyer relentlessly argued that “Samad” was the “real con artist” and he went behind Persaud’s back and obtained the money from the virtual complainants.
The lawyer said that his client was overseas when all the money transactions were done.  Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith objected to bail for Persaud.  The prosecutor noted that although Balwant Persaud was a certified consultant, he is not licensed to practise here.
She further told the court that the police never wanted Alim Samad.
This newspaper was informed that Samad who was also named by several victims as being an integral part of the alleged scheme had presented himself to the police on Wednesday but was released.
A source at the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters, Eve Leary told Kaieteur News that Samad claimed that he had seen reports of the scam while he was in Trinidad and he returned to Guyana to clear his name.
The source also said that investigators had no incriminating evidence against Samad despite victims’ claims that they had paid money to him.
The victims also produced receipts which purportedly confirmed that Samad had collected large sums from them.
The Prosecutor disclosed that other charges were likely to be laid against the defendant shortly.  Balwant Persaud was remanded to prison and is expected to make his next court appearance on Monday.
As he was leaving the court compound Persaud loudly proclaimed that the charges against him were instigated by senior government officials because he had publicized a refugee case involving a Guyanese who he had successfully represented in Canada.

Mars

No Balance Scheet. No schedule of Assets.

 

Depreciation of what ? $ 727,000 depreciation of assets ?

 

Purchases of over two million ?

Purchase of what ? Three cardboard computers ?

 

No opening balance. What is going on ?

 

Where are the bank accounts ?

 

The video mentions 7 million dollars loaned to Katty. Where was the seven million spent ?

 

This makes my head spin. That is Jumbie accounting.

 

Statements Presented were NOT audited.

 

Guyanese, beware of the AFC crooks. The video exposes the AFC.

 

Beware. Beware.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by kp:

Moses went from RED=PPPto YELLOW=AFC to GREEN=APNU to BLACK = PNC.

you saying the ppp is a racist Indian party and all Indian have to be a ppp member or they sold out and not Indian anymore you sure in the right part of the world

Moses playing musical chairs, one must ask ,what colour next? WHITE. His supporters are getting" swing head"

K

Is Cathy Hughes above public scrutiny?

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 Â· BY STAFF WRITER Â· 10 COMMENTS   NEXT ARTICLE Âŧ

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Dear Editor,

Perception is everything in politics. Mrs Cathy Hughes being on the payroll of Sithe Global and making decisions in the AFC on Sithe does not seem right.  I as an ordinary person have forgiven Mr Nigel Hughes since he did the honourable thing and resigned from one of the entities he has been involved in, and even issued a public apology.

However, none of this was forthcoming from Mrs Cathy Hughes and it has been a month now.  Is she above public scrutiny?

Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)

 

extracted from the Stabroek News

FM

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