The Parents’ Committee led by their Legal officer registered a criminal case against Bhutan Employment Overseas Agent regarding the Learn and Earn Programme’s issue to the Royal Bhutan Police Head Office, today. The appeal letter has five-point accusations against the agent. The committee requested RBP to carry out a thorough study and asked for legal liabilities.
About a hundred committee members including youths gathered near the Memorial Chorten before heading to RBP head office to lodge the complaint. The legal officer said, the case being more of a criminal in nature, the committee decided to lodge it as a criminal case rather than a civil case. About five hundred students have submitted their power of attorney to represent them at the court.
“If we register the case as a civil, even if students won the case, students will be compensated only. But for criminal, the loser has to bear both compensations as well as liable for any consequences. We are hoping that the RBP will do a thorough investigation and come up with fair findings,” said Ngawang Tobgay, the Legal Officer for Parents’ Committee.
The RBP’s head office after receiving the appeal letter handed over the case to Thimphu District Police. Thimphu District Police will now form an independent team to study the case. However, the team will not look into issues which are already covered by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
In December last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission after a thorough investigation forwarded the case to the Office of Attorney General.
According to the letter, the parents’ committee claimed that there is a falsification of information in the process of sending youths to Japan and deception for students after reaching Japan. The other accusations include harassment for youth, human trafficking, and abandoning person in danger by the agent.
However, the agent welcomes the move. In a mail response to BBS, the agent highlighted that the agent has been waiting all the time for the case to be taken to court.
“Now we heard that a criminal case has been filed against us with the RBP. We respect this decision as well and will do our utmost to cooperate. Our biggest regret is that this long-drawn unfortunate saga has taken things beyond our control with the biggest losers being our youths who are still doing their best to succeed in Japan. Sadly, each time this matter is being played out recklessly in the public domain, their prospects in Japan are being inevitably diminished. May the case come to a speedy conclusion.”
The issue came into limelight in 2018, following some students who went through the Learn and Earn Programme started accusing the agent failing to provide part-time jobs, charging exorbitant tuition and visa processing fees which youths said is a breach of the contract agreement between the agent and youth.
