Protector of emigrants in CBI net over nurses' recruitment fraud
Date
3/31/2015 11:31:02 PM
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The tax authorities recovered unaccounted money worth Rs30 million in the raid being carried out since Thursday.
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Trivandrum: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday registered a case against a protector of emigrants (PoE) and a private recruitment firm in the south Indian state of Kerala for allegedly cheating nurses seeking jobs in Kuwait.
The case was registered against Ernakulam PoE Adold Lawrence and Cochin-based Al Zara Travel and Manpower Consultants based on a raid conducted by the Income Tax sleuths on the firm.
The tax authorities recovered unaccounted money worth Rs30 million in the raid being carried out since Thursday.
The searches by the IT officials revealed that Al Zarafa had taken Rs1.95 million from each person recruited for job with the Health Ministry in Kuwait as against the stipulated fee of Rs19500. The company had a contract to recruit a total of 1200 nurses.
The recruitment firm which started the recruitment in December 2014 has collected Rs1.10 billion from nursing job seekers so far according to sources at the IT department.
The agency collected money in installments. Air tickets and visa were given only after the last installment was given.
The company issued the appointment offer only after collecting a signed affidavit from the candidates stating that they were recruited as per the government norms and they had paid only the stipulated service charge.
The CBI has taken over the case following complaints that the company had committed the fraud with the help of senior officials at the PoE. The complaints said that the firm had given bribe to the PoE for clearing each case. The federal agency has registered the case with PoE as the first accused.
CBI officials said that the PoE had hushed up several complaints they received against the recruitment firm.
A complaint made by a nursing aspirant was handed over to the firm by the PoE and a written statement was obtained from the complainant that she had no complaint against the firm.
Following the registration of the case the CBI has launched a raid on the offices of Al Zarafa and the PoE.
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