Migrants exploited: Leader sentenced, pays ‘significant’ reparations

A Bay of Plenty man who exploited multiple migrants and attempted to pervert the course of justice has been sentenced to 12 months home detention and ordered to pay his victims $80,000 in reparations. Jafar Kurisi, 60, was charged in late 2020 after an investigation into exploitation allegations by a group of migrant workers he previously employed. He pleaded guilty to all charges in January this year after the trial was delayed by Covid-19. Five residential properties in the Tauranga area were searched in July 2020 after allegations contracting companies were exploiting migrant workers. These searches were initiated after information was provided to Immigration New Zealand from the kiwifruit industry and the community. Investigators spoke to 27 people from Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh about their immigration status and their employment in New Zealand as part of the operation. Victim impact statements from two of the complainants detailed the financial impact and emotional harm they had experienced, including having pay withheld and being forced to sleep on the ground in a garage. ADVERTISEMENT Both statements said the pair were paid between $12-15 an hour, when the minimum wage at the time was $18.90, with neither paid for all hours worked....