PANJIM, SEPT 10
The CBI investigations in the alleged illegal immigration racket by former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco seems to be a fall out of strict cognisance taken by White House in US. Officials who quizzed the former minister at CBI office in Bambolim were heard telling him that America has taken serious cognisance of this case.
The former minister is in the dock after few Goans were allegedly found illegally trying to enter America. He is booked for sending the people abroad by forging documents.
“We are doing this because the White House is after illegal immigration,” a CBI official was heard telling Pacheco even as media men were eavesdropping discussion between CBI officials and Pacheco.
CBI sources informed that America has taken strong cognisance of the racket run from India after few Indians were found entering US without valid documents.
The former minister meanwhile told the quizzing team that his recruitment agency has sent 200-odd people overseas for jobs but the functioning of the agency at present has stopped as it did not have a license.
“I am the proprietor of the agency and the agency addresses are mine. Usually, we recruit people on-board but few are recruited on land. We check each person’s credentials before recruiting,” Pacheco in his high-pitched voice was heard telling CBI sleuths.
The CBI also sought details of various offices run by Pacheco in India and abroad. Pacheco, in the past had said that he along with his estranged wife Sara started ‘manpower recruitment agency’ somewhere in 1998, while its license expired in 2000.
After separation from his wife, according to Pacheco, he stopped handling affairs of the agency. Whereas Sara at a press briefing earlier said, that Pacheco forged documents to send people abroad.
