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A fresh investigation has been launched into the alleged involvement of National MP Kanwaljit Bakshi in an immigration scam.
Immigration New Zealand started an inquiry last year but closed
it in March because of a lack of evidence.
Immigration now says it has passed information from a new informant
to police who say they have a team investigating the case.
Bakshi is resting at home after heart surgery and not talking about
the police investigation into the alleged immigration scam. He has
previously
denied any wrongdoing.
The claims relate to a case first revealed by ONE News before the
last election, with allegations the National MP offered a fake job
to a young Indian woman who wanted to move to New Zealand.
The woman and her husband paid $22,000 to an immigration consultant, claiming some of that was supposed to go to Bakshi. He denies ever receiving any money.
A new informant has now come forward claiming the couple were "harassed and threatened" by "many political people".
Labour MP Pete Hodgson read the informant's claims out in the House.
Bakshi's leaders are standing by him for now.
"There have been allegations made and the authorities will have to sort out whether those are correct or not. I mean they've got to determine what's real, what's hearsay. That's up to the authorities rather than ourselves," says Bill English, Acting Prime Minister.
"As far as I understand (Bakshi's) quite clear that he hasn't done anything he shouldn't have done."
That is something police must now determine as they delve deeper into this murky case.
Police say they are looking at the role of former immigration consultant Darshan Singh Bains, who took job offers from Bakshi and gave them to Indians to use as part of their applications to migrate to New Zealand.
"Police are currently assessing that Immigration NZ information
to determine criminal liability," police say.
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