Migration Alliance has been contacted by a number of concerned Adelaide residents following the release yesterday of our updates on Abel Kalpinand Prasad. We were then provided details of an RMA who worked with Abel and contacted him for his recollections. Our contact is an RMA who is based in Adelaide and had the unfortunate experience of having come across Abel Kalpinand Prasad.
Background
Our contact in Adelaide is a migration agent and reports that in 2011-2012 Abel Prasad (Abel) would advertise for and then have "many Chinese clients turn up to the office" and that Abel appeared to be running a pyramid scheme and that Abel would arrange for agents and referrers to bring people to him.
The scoop
"Abel relied upon getting new people in to pay people back after he had already taken money from then when they complained about not getting the service offered and threatened to go to the Authorities" says our contact.
"Abel was selling jobs and visas to people. He would advise clients that he had contacts in the DIBP and entice them into paying substantial amounts in cash to ensure a fast visa processing service. It is estimated that Abel received around $100,000 in two or three weeks from people who were attracted to his add in the Chinese paper and through referrals from other agents both in South Australia and interstate who were desperate and looking for a new job and a new life in Australia.
The company name Abel operated from at the time was called "The Old Scholar' and he operated this from a serviced office in Adelaide. Abel would always operate under a Corporate structure to legally protect himself financially".
Our contact says that "These people didn't get real jobs with real positions Abel was selling made up positions within The Old Scholar. Abel would take new clients down the hallway passage or to the coffee shop downstairs after our meetings and it later turned out that is was there he would talk about money for jobs and buying visa’s.
After our contact sat down and spoke with the clients without Abel being present it was soon established that Abel was selling visas. We also think that Abel was selling IELTS results. Abel would say to clients "I know people where you can buy a good IELTS score. If you do your IELTS test in Adelaide then I can fix the results".
Our contact tried to help clients get their money back. He assisted clients to complain to the Regional Certifying Body (RCB) who were certifying the 457 positions offered by Abel's business. As a result of the assistance given by our contact clients to complain to various authorities. Our contact was investigated by the Office of the MARA and others over a three year period until he was cleared of any wrong doing.
He says: 'Abel Prasad is a con man of grand proportions. Everything he is doing in Sydney, he has already done in Adelaide. Abel was chased out of town and is worse than Eddie Kang. Abel would have 457s approved so that his clients could work for him and then instead of those clients performing the tasks and responsibilities as set out under ANZSCO, they would be used to spruik for new clients and bring in more of their friends to get more people to pay Abel up to $40,000 each. He [Abel] ran it like a farm. He would run ads in a Chinese paper. People would come into the office. In the four weeks I was with him, he did it with at least 10 plus people in amounts ranging from $20-$30K each. Abel would give previous clients a refund, usually partial, but would rely on people going in to pay those clients going out."
Our contact said that after hearing about the NSW issues with Abel Prasad it was clear that "Adelaide was Abel Prasad's 'learning State' from 2011-2012. That's where he learned his craft. There are still people hunting him here. I gave all the information to the RCB and told them and Fair Work that he was running what looked like a pyramid scheme - nothing was ever done.
"Abel Prasad literally disappeared in the middle of the night. He didn't come into work. Nobody knew where he was. He would report in as being in hospital with chest pain. When I realised what was going on, I went into the office with my wife one Sunday and emptied my office out.
Interestingly Abel Prasad told Migration Alliance founder, Liana Allan that he had also been in hospital in Sydney with chest pain in the not too distant past.
Abel Prasad said that "Abel also ran a fashion business in a shop in Rundle Mall, which lasted approximately 2 months until he was again chased for money.
Abel left Adelaide owing a large number of migration clients, money for services not delivered, superannuation, and wages and just went missing.
"He needs to be arrested and put in prison" says our contact.
Migration Alliance knows the identity of the contact but will keep their name anonymous for their safety and security and our contact was himself stilled owed money for the migration work carried out for Abel Prasad as the sponsor and employer of visa applicants.