A longtime employee of the Saskatchewan immigrant nominee program is accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and washing the money through a web of fraud, according to the RCMP.Tony Dou, 47, was charged by the RCMP’s Serious and Organized Crime Unit on April 29 and arrested in Saskatoon on May 5. Court records show he faces five counts, including fraud over $5,000, money laundering, breach of trust, and accepting a benefit as a government official. Dou is set to appear in provincial court on May 20.RCMP allege that between April 2015 and July 2022, Dou used his inside access to take more than $650,000 from participants in the provincial nominee program, which matches foreign workers with Saskatchewan employers who cannot find local staff. .RCMP says he altered documents, used restricted databases without permission, and moved the illicit cash through personal accounts.“Breach of trust investigations allege violations of confidence and integrity, which are fundamental pillars of public office,” said RCMP Superintendent Andrew Farquhar in a statement announcing the charges.The provincial government paused new applications to the nominee program for five weeks this spring after Ottawa cut the number of immigration spots available, then relaunched it with stricter rules. Under the new system, employers must prove no Saskatchewan resident can fill a vacancy before receiving a job approval form.Foreign hires have to work at least six months before they can apply for permanent status.The Ministry of Immigration and Career Training says the nominee program accounts for more than 90% of Saskatchewan’s economic immigration each year.
A longtime employee of the Saskatchewan immigrant nominee program is accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and washing the money through a web of fraud, according to the RCMP.Tony Dou, 47, was charged by the RCMP’s Serious and Organized Crime Unit on April 29 and arrested in Saskatoon on May 5. Court records show he faces five counts, including fraud over $5,000, money laundering, breach of trust, and accepting a benefit as a government official. Dou is set to appear in provincial court on May 20.RCMP allege that between April 2015 and July 2022, Dou used his inside access to take more than $650,000 from participants in the provincial nominee program, which matches foreign workers with Saskatchewan employers who cannot find local staff. .RCMP says he altered documents, used restricted databases without permission, and moved the illicit cash through personal accounts.“Breach of trust investigations allege violations of confidence and integrity, which are fundamental pillars of public office,” said RCMP Superintendent Andrew Farquhar in a statement announcing the charges.The provincial government paused new applications to the nominee program for five weeks this spring after Ottawa cut the number of immigration spots available, then relaunched it with stricter rules. Under the new system, employers must prove no Saskatchewan resident can fill a vacancy before receiving a job approval form.Foreign hires have to work at least six months before they can apply for permanent status.The Ministry of Immigration and Career Training says the nominee program accounts for more than 90% of Saskatchewan’s economic immigration each year.
