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Travel agencies selling British visas?
By Chris Kamalendran
More evidence is emerging on the alleged scandal over the issue of visas at the British High Commission with claims that some of the applicants who had not been eligible had passed through strict visa formalities at the mission, while others who had better documentary proof had been rejected.

One case relates to a travel agency clerk who had obtained a three year multiple visa after allegedly providing false documents on his admission to the Kensington College of Business, in Britain.

After this student went to Britain the school's registrar Ms. Salma Zainul had informed the High Commission that he had only registered but had not come to Britain. Another student who had better qualifications to enter Kensington College but was not given a visa had protested to the High Commission against what he saw as discrimination.

The High Commission responded by saying it had informed immigration authorities in Britain and the other student would be deported if his documents were confirmed as false. But one year has passed now and the more qualified student is still in Colombo while the clerk is apparently lost somewhere in Britain.

Partly involved in this was none other than the officer who has now been dismissed on allegations of fradulent practices at the visa section of the High Commission.
While the High Commission is known to adopt the strictest of procedures in granting student visas, some travel agents have boasted they could get such visas without much difficulty.

The Sunday Times found that one travel agency in the suburbs of Colombo was charging Rs. 600,000 from students to obtain admission to schools in London with a guaranteed visa.

Visa Officer dismissed
The British High Commission officer who was at the centre of the money-and-sex for visa racket has been dismissed from service, a High Commission spokesperson said. Spokesperson Margaret Tongue said the High Commission had dismissed an officer from service with immediate effect.

She said the Scotland Yard was conducting a full probe but declined to give details.
The Sunday Times in an exclusive story last week published details of a purpoted visa racket in which the officer allegedly charged as much as Rs. 500,000 for a visa and demanded sexual favours from applicants in some instances.

The officer is a British national who was recruited locally and had worked in the mission for the past ten years. Reports have poured in since the story appeared last Sunday alleging that many persons obtained visas by paying large sums of money.

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