回复: 最近省题名项目的坏新闻不断
A group of nine Chinese investors who were demanding their money back from a provincial government program that aims to connect immigrant money with local business were removed by Charlottetown police officers Wednesday from a downtown office building.
The immigrants staged a sit-in at the offices of P.E.I. Business Development, demanding their $25,000 “good faith’’ deposit back. The money is supposed to be returned after the immigrants have lived in Canada for over a year.
But some investors who have been in Prince Edward Island for up to two years have not seen one cent of that money returned.
The immigrants say they were promised a face-to-face meeting, but after waiting five hours the only face-to-face meeting they had was with Charlottetown police officers.
Jinhui “John’’ Gao of Charlottetown says his faith in Canada is being rocked by how he’s being treated.
“Our heart broken because Canada, P.E.I., is freedom, human right, fair but until now liar, liar, liar,’’ Gao shouted in broken English.
“All of us a little disappointed.’’
Gao invested $105,000 in a P.E.I. business, plus $20,000 for a language deposit, and the $25,000 for a “good faith’’ deposit, bringing his total investment in the program to $150,000.
He doesn’t even know what Island business that this money was invested into.
Gao is now fearful, after reading reports of a police investigation into the program, that his money may be gone.
“I said, ‘I need answer. I need result.’ They call police,’’ he said.
“We waited five hours but nobody came here. Policemen come here. It’s our right. I just want my money returned. It is my money. But why? I’m confused, why so difficult?’’
There was an officer with a private security firm at the front door of the provincial government office, an unusual sight in a province where residents have free access to most provincial government offices, including the premier’s office.
Gao, who’s lived in the province 13 months, said he’s not going away. He plans to return to P.E.I. Business Development today with upwards of 300 Chinese investors, all of whom will be demanding their $25,000 “good faith’’ deposit back.
Up until a couple of weeks ago few knew anything about the Provincial Nominee Program, referred to as PNP. The program expedites Canadian visas for immigrants who have money and are willing to invest it into Island companies.
Millions of dollars have been invested in P.E.I. Now, the RCMP are looking into an allegation of fraud. The auditor general is suggesting he too may look into the program. And the Conservative opposition is calling for a committee of the P.E.I. legislature to probe PNP.
Innovation Minister Richard Brown, who oversees the program, called an emergency meeting of his staff Wednesday night to discuss what happened.
But Brown said the reason why some of the immigrants are not getting their money back is they have not completed the proper documentation, which proves they’ve lived in P.E.I. for more than a year.
“They sign a good faith deposit form that says ‘this is the information you shall provide’ and if you provide this information we will return the deposit,’’ said Brown, adding hundreds of immigrants have received their money back.
“If we start just giving money back, without the proper documentation, we could be audited.’’
Brown said he does not know who called in the police Wednesday, but he said he was not consulted. That, despite the fact the acting CEO of P.E.I. Business Development is Brown’s own deputy minister, Michael Mayne.
“I asked staff, ‘what is going on here?’ I’m concerned about this. I don’t want Prince Edward Island’s reputation tarnished in any way here. If these immigrants deserve their money back they will be given their money back, simple and easy. I am not going to hold any money back from immigrants that come to this country.’’