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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lkdood" data-source="post: 9427113" data-attributes="member: 92282">Acting on information received, The Sunday Leader in a covert assignment, has obtained evidence to show that a growing number of foreign education ‘consultants’ actively breach a variety of laws not only in Sri Lanka but abroad too – and at the same time, lead prospective students up the proverbial garden path resulting in grave financial loss and helping further sour UK Immigration resistance to genuine students from Sri Lanka. The scale of the problem is such that the UK Immigration authorities will be introducing changes to the Tier 4 system expected in April this year.We visited the office of the Australian Education Centre in Rotunda Gardens, Colpetty last week to find out ourselves what the score was. Only after we left the building did we realise the irony of the location itself: their office backed on to the grounds of Temple Trees.Our information suggested that a “Sandaruwan” was the king pin. In fact what we found out was that Sandaruwan was an assistant and that the real ‘businessman’ behind the Australian Education Centre was its Managing Director, Dulip Herath.Herath confirmed that he has been in business for well over six years and that in the last year alone, he had sent some 300 students to the United Kingdom. Herath started the proceedings with typical hard-sell tactics: he gave us the price comparisons of two higher education centres in the British capital, London. The first centre he told us would carry a cost of GBP 12,950.That was at E-Thames Graduate School, where his suggested course of a degree-equivalent programme in Business Administration, could be taken on. Herath later confirmed he was an agent for both these institutions.At the price mentioned we feigned complete inability to pay and we looked suitably crestfallen. Herath then described Stratford College on the outskirts of London. He suggested the same course and worked out the cost at not more than Rs. 760,000. This, he said, was completely “all-in” meaning that the British High Commission fee of Rs. 42,000 was also inclusive.We looked suitably relieved: there was a huge difference between the two: one required an initial payment of Rs. 760,000 and the other an initial payment of some Rs. 1.2 million – a saving of Rs. 500,000. Herath was most encouraging. Especially as he detected our interest in Stratford College which is known to us separately as having a large contingent of Sri Lankan students.Herath then went on to the financial requirements of the British High Commission. We had to show, he told us, funds in the applicant’s name of Rs. 1.5 million. Or in the name of the applicant’s parents. Time to look even more crestfallen, which we were getting good at now, as at each look of disappointment, Herath took the advantage.Dulip Herath, Managing Director, Australian Business Education Centre, gave us some startling information. He could assist us if we had no funds to show. He had, he said, arrangements with “some investors” who would put the necessary “show money” for the consideration of the British High Commission. He had arrangements, he said, with finance companies who could back date fixed deposits and who were already doing this. He summoned from Sandaruwan, a file and took two sets of documents. Both were from Kanrich Finance, based in Ward Place, Colombo.We noted that the actual fixed deposit certificate was a photocopy which had “CERTIFIED TRUE COPY” stamped on it. Could we not encash these, we asked. “Oh No! the originals are kept with the ‘investors’ even though it will be in your name. Without that you can’t encash.” Herath added for good measure, “There are many finance companies even we can get from other companies. It is all accepted.” The cost of this extra service for the “show money” would be Rs. 90,000 per fixed deposit of Rs. 1.5 million.And here lay the rub: the spokesperson for the British High Commission in Colombo, confirmed that only the original fixed deposit certificates would be acceptable. In effect it meant that any application made on the lines that Dulip Herath suggested would undoubtedly be rejected. Herath however was “99%” sure he could get us the visa. In fact, if we paid more money to the “investors” for “show money” for an additional Rs. 1 million of fixed deposits, Herath said he could also get a dependent visa for the spouse. The spouse, could work full time without restriction, he told us authoritatively. The only drawback he said, looking almost as apologetic as we did, was that we would have to pay a further Rs. 100,000 to get the extra Rs. 1 million of fixed deposits to show the High Commission.Herath confirmed that the student could work for 20 hours a week, full time during the vacation period and would receive a two and a half year multiple entry visa to Britain. With the spouse also allowed to work full time, Herath sold us a wonderful tale. Herath confirmed that in the year 2010 alone, he had sent over 300 students to the UK using the Tier 4 system. He warned that over 30,000 dependants and students had gone in total to the UK under Tier 4 and that due to the large numbers, the British government was changing the system from next April. Herath urged us to be very quick for this “last chance” – in super, white-socked doorstep salesman style – that the “interview” would be on March 7 for the cheaper option at Stratford College and April 23rd for the better option at E-Thames Graduate School.The only thing Dulip Herath didn’t say, to his credit, was that the streets of London were paved with gold. We knew that however, as we had both read up on Dick Whittington. A transcript of the entire undercover recording has been made available to the British High Commission in Colombo. A complete version will also be published on our websiteBy Faraz Shauketaly (faraz@thesundayleader.lk)A British High Commission spokesman said: “The UK Border Agency takes any allegation concerning abuse of the UK’s visa processes very seriously and will investigate all allegations thoroughly. We have robust and sophisticated internal fraud detection processes and our operation in Colombo is no exception.  When we find fraud,  the application is refused and the applicant will be banned from the UK for upto 10 years.  We also regularly refer cases of fraud to the Sri Lankan police and other enforcement agencies, with whom we have very good working relationships.”<a href="http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/02/13/leading-students-up-the-garden-path/" target="_blank">http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/02/13/leading-students-up-the-garden-path/</a></blockquote>

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