The Federal Court has ordered Employment and training firm Clinica Internationale Pty Ltd. and its sole shareholder Radovan Laski to pay $1.025 million in repayment and penalties to nearly 90 migrants, including Indians, who were promised permanent residency.
Mr Laski was also disqualified from managing corporations for five years.
Clinica offered 'vulnerable' and newly arrived migrants training and sponsored employment in the cleaning industry under a program which it claimed would lead to permanent residency. Approximately 90 migrants paid fees totalling more than $760,000 to participate in the program, with many paying in excess of $10,000 each.
Rohit Pandhi lost thousands of dollars to the dodgy tactics of the firm. He spoke to SBS Punjabi in October 2014 when the federal government had launched a campaign to investigate 'paid' 457 visa sponsorships. Without naming Clinica or Radovan Laski, Rohit had talked about his dealings with them - and how he was lured by their "Pathway to PR". SBS Punjabi team had sighted all the documents that clearly named Laski as the provider of regional sponsorship, before broadcasting this interview back in October 2014. ![http://audiomedia-sbs.akamaized.net/punjabi_141011_366553.mp3 image]()
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The court held that Clinica made false or misleading representations, as Clinica never had any cleaning jobs available for its clients and, in any event, cleaning jobs would not have met the skill requirements necessary for permanent residency under the relevant visa requirements.
The court condemned the way Clinica and Mr. Laski preyed on the dreams of vulnerable migrants.
Clinica clients who believe they may be eligible to receive a refund should contact the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502.
