ICAC-Australian authorities joint investigation reveals graft-facilitated citizenship scam
2001-2-19
As a result of joint efforts of the ICAC and Australian authorities, a HK$20 million citizenship scam involving an Australia-based former official of the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA), who allegedly took bribes from a Hong Kong emigration consultant to grant Australian citizenship to unqualified applicants, was smashed.
In Hong Kong, the emigration consultant and his two associates were arrested in the ICAC operation “ Pebble Gem ” for allegedly conspiring to offer A$1 million (about HK$4.2 million) in bribe payments to the DIMA official.
It was believed that the conspiracy of the payment of bribes allegedly occurred in Hong Kong's jurisdiction.
In return, the Australian former immigration official had allegedly granted Australian citizenship to numerous applicants referred by the emigration consultant who all failed to meet the citizenship requirements. Most of these applicants were either resi dents of Hong Kong or the Mainland.
Twenty-six of them were also arrested in the ICAC operation.
The Australian authorities detected alleged irregularities involving a number of applications for citizenship handled by the formal DIMA official early last year following an internal investigation.
It was revealed that over a number of years, the Australian former immigration official had unduly granted Australian citizenship to more than 140 unqualified applicants.
The Australian authorities, who are continuing investigations, referred the bribery allegations against some Hong Kong people in connection with the alleged scam to the ICAC in September last year.
ICAC enquiries later revealed that the Hong Kong emigration consultant had allegedly paid bribes to the Australian former immigration official, which included the payment of travelling expenses incurred by the Australian official and his family in making numerous overseas trips.
The payment of travelling expenses, estimated to be around HK$200,000, were suspected of being part of reward for the official to grant Australian citizenship to clients referred by the consultant.
It was revealed that most of the applicants involved had not fulfilled the residence requirement nor did they possess the necessary English language skills, which was a basic requirement for the granting of citizenship.
Enquiries further revealed that in some extreme cases, applicants who had never resided in Australia were granted Australian citizenship immediately after they flew into Australia and received an Australian passport within one day. Most of them left the country shortly afterwards and never returned to Australia since then.
The emigration consultant had charged each applicant a substantial fee ranging from US$5,000 to US$100,000 for assisting them in obtaining Australian citizenship. The total amount of money involved in this citizenship scam was around HK$20 million.
All the 29 arrestees - 16 men and 13 women - have been released on ICAC bail.
Enquiries are continuing.
In Hong Kong, the emigration consultant and his two associates were arrested in the ICAC operation “ Pebble Gem ” for allegedly conspiring to offer A$1 million (about HK$4.2 million) in bribe payments to the DIMA official.
It was believed that the conspiracy of the payment of bribes allegedly occurred in Hong Kong's jurisdiction.
In return, the Australian former immigration official had allegedly granted Australian citizenship to numerous applicants referred by the emigration consultant who all failed to meet the citizenship requirements. Most of these applicants were either resi dents of Hong Kong or the Mainland.
Twenty-six of them were also arrested in the ICAC operation.
The Australian authorities detected alleged irregularities involving a number of applications for citizenship handled by the formal DIMA official early last year following an internal investigation.
It was revealed that over a number of years, the Australian former immigration official had unduly granted Australian citizenship to more than 140 unqualified applicants.
The Australian authorities, who are continuing investigations, referred the bribery allegations against some Hong Kong people in connection with the alleged scam to the ICAC in September last year.
ICAC enquiries later revealed that the Hong Kong emigration consultant had allegedly paid bribes to the Australian former immigration official, which included the payment of travelling expenses incurred by the Australian official and his family in making numerous overseas trips.
The payment of travelling expenses, estimated to be around HK$200,000, were suspected of being part of reward for the official to grant Australian citizenship to clients referred by the consultant.
It was revealed that most of the applicants involved had not fulfilled the residence requirement nor did they possess the necessary English language skills, which was a basic requirement for the granting of citizenship.
Enquiries further revealed that in some extreme cases, applicants who had never resided in Australia were granted Australian citizenship immediately after they flew into Australia and received an Australian passport within one day. Most of them left the country shortly afterwards and never returned to Australia since then.
The emigration consultant had charged each applicant a substantial fee ranging from US$5,000 to US$100,000 for assisting them in obtaining Australian citizenship. The total amount of money involved in this citizenship scam was around HK$20 million.
All the 29 arrestees - 16 men and 13 women - have been released on ICAC bail.
Enquiries are continuing.