Two prominent businessmen in the South Okanagan are facing serious allegations of immigration fraud.
According to court documents obtained by Global News, Surinder Paul Singla, 71, faces 10 charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act related to incidents alleged to have occurred from March 2015 to January 2017, while Randhir (Randy) Singh Toor, 56, faces 18 charges for alleged incidents that occurred between October 2015 and September 2017.
Toor also faces 11 firearms-related offences, according to the indictment obtained by Global News.
Singla is the president and founder of Singla Brothers Holdings Ltd., a real estate development, rentals and excavation firm based in Penticton, B.C., according to the company’s website.
He is accused of counselling or attempting to counsel a person to misrepresent or withhold facts that could cause an error in the administration of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, involving labour market impact assessment applications for Singla Bros. Holdings Ltd, according to the indictment.
Most employers need a labour market impact assessment before they can hire temporary foreign workers, according to the Government of Canada website.
The assessments determine if there is a need for a temporary foreign worker and if no Canadians or permanent residents are available to do the job, the website says.
Singla is also charged in relation to labour market assessments for the Trout Creek Fruit Stand & Nursery.
The Singla Brothers Holdings Ltd website says he arrived in B.C. from India in 1970 as “an ambitious young man who simply wanted a better life.”
“Since then, the Singlas have been responsibly contributing to the Okanagan housing market while fostering community living through their developments and creating jobs for locals at their businesses, including the Trout Creek Fruit Stand,” the website says.
Toor is the president and owner of Desert Hills Estate Winery in Oliver, B.C.
Toor faces allegations of counselling or attempting to counsel people to misrepresent or withhold facts related to labour market impact assessments for Desert Hills Estate Winery and Toor Vineyards.
He is also accused of counselling or attempting to counsel people to submit fraudulent permanent residency and work permit applications, as well as possessing a host of weapons without a license.
Toor allegedly had a Dan Wesson model .15 caliber revolver, a .22 caliber revolver, a Ruger pistol, a Remington shotgun, a Colt revolver and two handgun barrels on June 6, 2018 in Oliver, according to the indictment.
On June 7, 2018, in Penticton, the Canada Border Services Agency raided Singla’s home and fruit stand, but the agency never made clear why.
The family later released a statement, via Paul Varga of Interior Law LLP, saying the agency did not have authority to be on their property.
Singla said his defense counsel is Vancouver lawyer Ian Donaldson.
Singla declined to comment when reached by phone, and referred Global News to his lawyer, who was unavailable on Wednesday.
Toor could not be reached.
Both men were scheduled to make a first appearance in court on Oct. 21 in Penticton.
Four other people have also been charged in connection to the alleged immigration fraud network, including 51-year-old Singh Batth and his wife, Navdeep Batth of Langley, according to the CBSA.
Owner/Director of Agiforce Security Ltd., Gurtaj Singh Grewal of Surrey, and the Owner/Director of V K Delivery & Moving Services Ltd., Ved Parkash Kaler, are also facing several counts of counselling misrepresentation.