Four face trial for illegal immigrant workers' scam

May 11, 2010, 1:39 GMT

Wellington - Four men will go on trial this week accused of running a company that employed hundreds of illegal immigrant workers from Asia in New Zealand orchards, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The workers came from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia and worked in fruit-producing regions in both of New Zealand's main islands, a pre-trial hearing in the Hastings District Court was told on Monday.

Michael Porter, 53; Miles Elliott, 45; Surjit 'Uncle' Singh, 62; and his son Dharminder 'Bubbly' Singh, 42, will stand trial on Thursday on a representative charge of conspiring to aid and abet foreign nationals to remain in the country illegally, the Dominion Post reported.

The court was told the accused men's company, Contract Labour Services, ran a sophisticated immigration fraud that included a secret payroll for illegal workers.

It was alleged that the workers' wages were 'taxed' at 20 per cent by the employer and they were given advice on how to avoid Immigration Service raids.

Cheques were made out to fake sub-contractors, who cashed the cheques and brought back cash to pay the immigrant workers.

Nearly 40 witnesses are scheduled to give evidence at the trial which is expected to last at least four weeks.