Victims seek Bahrain travel ban against ‘nursing immigration fraudster’

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Victims of a nursing immigration fraud are now pleading to the authorities to impose a travel ban on the alleged fraudster to disallow him from leaving Bahrain. Speaking to The Daily Tribune, they claimed the wife of the accused is based in Ireland and any time he could leave the country for the European nation with an aim to paralyse the legal processes with his absence.

The alleged fraudster, who runs a training institute in Bahrain, is accused of cheating several nurses with promises of obtaining a job in Germany. The victims, who are Bahrain residents, say he has fleeced them of thousands of Bahraini dinars and a complaint has been filed in this regard at Exhibition Road Police Station.

Institute in wife’s name

The victims said that the institute has been registered in the name of the wife of the accused and she lives in Ireland. “Since we are bringing this fraudulent activity before the authorities, he can flee from here anytime to Ireland.” They also requested a probe by the German Embassy into the matter. Indian national Abhilash K S, 36, one of the complainants, said the accused misled him over German migration after taking BD2,200 from him. “Germany is a federation of provinces and every province has different rules for nurses, who are interested in migrating there.

“He deliberately guided us into applying for immigration with a province, which has comparatively tougher norms. This invited a plethora of complications that were used as tools in defrauding us.” “Initially, we were promised that the residency permits could be obtained within six months of applying.

Now it has been close to one-and-a-half years and nothing much has happened. We want our residency application processes to be taken forward or he should return the money, which is nothing but our blood, sweat and tears.” Juby M Sebastin, another Indian national, is also a victim of alleged fraud. He told The Daily Tribune that the institute has been unwilling to share documents for which the victims have paid. “Everything including the receipts we received were fake.

When we contacted the German Nursing Council we came to know that the agency which translated our certificates was not a valid one and that was the main reason behind the rejection of our nursing licence applications. “Out of the moderate salary I am drawing, I have invested over BD3,000 in this process. How could I let it go? I urge the authorities to take strict action against the accused.”

Two years, BD4,000

Reetha George, 50, a nursing professional in the Kingdom for over 22 years and a Germany immigration aspirant, said the accused made her deviate from the normal application process. “Having over two decades of experience in the field, I could have easily obtained a German Nursing Council licence by pursuing an adaptation course.

“I was totally kept in the dark as I could not learn the processes by myself owing to lack of high-level knowledge in German language. Two years I have invested along with over BD4,000, chasing the German dream and all the efforts have ended in vain.” Since the victims and the accused belong to the South Indian State of Kerala, complaints have been filed before Kerala Director General of Police, Law and Order and Kerala Chief Minister. Another complaint has also been filed with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs.