A Sri Lankan company director has been sentenced in New Zealand after being found guilty of exploiting a migrant worker employed at her business.
Dodamwalage Kalani Helikumari Jayawardhana, known as Kalani, was sentenced on 6 July to two years’ imprisonment, to be served as 12 months’ home detention, after being convicted on three charges of migrant exploitation following an investigation by New Zealand’s Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
The offences occurred while Jayawardhana was a director of Computer Express 24 Care Limited, a business based in Palmerston North.
The court also ordered her to pay NZ$59,657.68 in reparation, including unpaid wages, PAYE contributions, and NZ$15,000 that she had unlawfully demanded from the employee during the course of her employment.
According to INZ, the victim, a Sri Lankan national employed as an office manager, was repeatedly pressured to hand over large sums of money, including wages she had earned, while trying to build a future in New Zealand and progress her residency application.
INZ National Manager of Investigations Jason Perry described the case as a serious abuse of power, saying employers have no right to demand money from workers in exchange for employment or the prospect of a better future.
He said the case highlights the harm caused by migrant exploitation and serves as a warning that authorities will continue to pursue employers who profit from vulnerable migrant workers. (Newswire)