Expatriate pleads guilty to breaking work-permit guidelines

By DILU WENA
AN EXPATRIATE charged with disobeying visa entry permit obligations pleaded guilty at the Wiagani District Court on Thursday and is waiting sentencing.
MD Shohel, real name Sahab Bin Shohel, 29, from Gazipur village in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was charged under the Migration Act on Feb 25 after police executed a search warrant at the Janat Trade Store at 9-Mile, Port Moresby.
Police found that Shohel’s work permit allowed him to work for MRS Enterprise Ltd but he was working as manager for Janat Trade Store.
Police found that MRS Enterprise Ltd did not exist in PNG and dates on the work permit visa were confusing.
The defendant admitted that all his travel arrangements and work permit visa to PNG were done by his elder brother MD Nurul Amid, who was in PNG.
Shohel said he stayed in PNG for five months, and when he entered the country, he was taken to Janat Trade Store to start work as manager and that he did not know the whereabouts of MRS Enterprises Ltd.
After investigations, police were advised by an immigration officer on Feb 19 that there was a possible breach of the visa, and formal arrest and charge were made.
Shohel was released on a K1000 bail.
Prosecutor Chief Sergeant Prirka Eafeare, who made a sentence submission, said this was “a very serious issue that PNG is facing”, especially about foreigners entering the country.
“Government agencies like the Department of Migration, Customs and police should stop these types of people illegally entering Papua New Guinea,” he said.