This was learned from a source familiar with the investigation who confirmed that the probe was directed at a certain “Miss Chan and other unknown people”, believed to be members of an organized crime group.
An officer of the Consulate's assistance to nationals section said the two Filipinas appear to be victims of an illegal recruitment syndicate offering jobs in Britain.
Both sources ruled out any involvement of the employers of the two workers, Criselda M. Bantasan and Cristy C. Par, in the fraudulent use of their documents. Bantasan and Par’s case has been transferred to the District Court in Wanchai, where it is scheduled for hearing on Apr 3.
The two helpers appeared on Mar 15 before Magistrate Peter Law in Eastern Court, where an amended charge was read to them.
Bantasan and Par face one count each of “conspiracy to use copies of false instruments”, nearly two years after they submitted the fake documents to staff at the United Kingdom Visa Application Centre at Leighton Centre in Causeway Bay.
The two, represented in court by a lawyer, are out on bail and staying in the homes of their respective employers, who also bailed them out.
It is alleged that on April 1, 2016, Bantasan went to the UK Visa Application Centre on the 15th floor of Leighton Centre in Causeway Bay and applied for an overseas domestic helper visa.
Bantasan allegedly conspired with a certain “Ms Chan” and other unknown persons to submit copies of fake papers to UK VAC staff Lo So-han to support her visa application.
The police report said the spurious documents were an ANZ Bank statement of Cheng Wing-ki, his letter to the British Consulate, an employer’s statement by Cheng, the Australian passports of Cheng and Ng Charmaine Oi-yau, and an overseas domestic helper contract between Bantasan and Cheng.
On May 30, 2016, Par also submitted fake documents to UK visa staff Cheng Yau-sun. The documents were also allegedly falsified in connivance with “Ms Chan” and other unknown persons.
The documents included a supposed Dah Sing Bank statement of Wong Wan-kee Winnie, a letter to the British Consulate that Wong had purportedly written, her employer’s statement, New Zealand passport, and an overseas domestic helper contract between Par and Wong.
The report said both Bantasan and Par submitted the copies of the documents which they allegedly “knew or believed to be false, with the intention of inducing (Cheng and So) to accept them as genuine” and grant them a work visa for overseas domestic helpers.
