Singla Brothers Holdings “duped” into immigration fraud and didn’t profit: defence

The defence lawyer for well-known Penticton business Singla Brothers Holdings claims the company was “duped” into participating in an immigration fraud network and did not profit from it.

On Friday, Singla Brothers pleaded guilty to six federal immigration offences at the Penticton law courts.

The company aided people to misrepresent or withhold facts related to immigration applications, which are crimes under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of $100,000 or five years imprisonment.

The company admitted to the counts in a plea deal that will see charges dropped against the owner of the Okanagan business, Paul Singla.

2:07 Immigration-fraud charges

The Penticton development, rentals and excavation firm was one of several businesses charged in the B.C. Interior and the Lower Mainland following a major investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Singla Holdings’ lawyer, Ian Donaldson, said the company was “duped” into participating in the scam by someone Singla trusted.

“You can sign a document, not knowing that it is false, but being careless, and these are offences that one can commit by being careless. You have a duty to review things and not blindly trust people,” he told Global News.

“Some people came and obtained status in Canada as a result of false representations made to the immigration people and Singla Brothers, was, unfortunately, a part of some of those false representations and the company has some liability for that.”

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The fraud involved applications for labour market impact assessments, which are required by employers to hire temporary foreign workers, if no Canadians are available to do the job.

“You’ll see references in the court documents to labour market impact assessments. Singla Brothers didn’t make these assessments, they didn’t go out there and create this information, other people did that and said, ‘can you help us bring people into work,'” Donaldson said.

“The fraud artist behind all of this profited by what he did. It is alleged that some of the other companies involved in this profited. Singla Brothers didn’t profit, they weren’t paid any money for what they did,” the defence lawyer added.

Randy Toor, the owner of Desert Hills Estate Winery and a former Oliver town council member, was also charged in the probe.

Toor faces allegations of counselling or attempting to counsel people to misrepresent or withhold facts related to immigration applications for Desert Hills Estate Winery and Toor Vineyards.

He is due back in court on Nov. 4.

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Four other business people from the Lower Mainland are also accused of the scam,  including 51-year-old Singh Batth and his wife, Navdeep Batth of Langley, according to the CBSA.

As for Singla, the Prosecution Service of Canada confirms to Global News it plans to stay all charges against the businessman at the conclusion of the corporation’s sentencing.

Donaldson expects a fine will be levied and no one will serve jail time.

“I expect that the Crown and I will both agree that a fine is appropriate against the corporation,” he said.