Warrants executed in June targeted 2 P.E.I. farm businesses suspected of illegal acts

Federal investigators told court officials earlier this year that they believed two farm businesses in eastern P.E.I. were involved in an illegal scheme to defraud foreign workers by charging "large sums of money" for jobs that did not exist.

Canadian Nectar Products and Island Gold Honey, both of which have Montague addresses, were named in a search warrant that was executed by Canada Border Service Agency investigators on June 21 of this year.

The search warrant alleges workers were lured to Prince Edward Island with the promise of employment and the opportunity to gain permanent residency in Canada.

Upon arrival in the province, workers were told there was little or no work available, but were issued fraudulent pay stubs, among other alleged infractions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

In some cases, workers allege they were forced to re-pay airfare to Canada, and were instructed to "hide the truth" about their employment arrangements if questioned by authorities. 

Workers also allege they were forced to sign resignation letters as well as other documents they did not understand.

Roger O'Neill, owner of the company that produces Island Gold Honey, and Kamalpreet Khaira, identified as an owner of Canadian Nectar Products, are named as persons of interest in the ongoing investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency.

Canadian Nectar Products has been operating apple orchards in eastern P.E.I. for about eight years.

Khaira is also named as an owner of CWC Immigration Solutions of Brampton, Ont. It is described as an immigration consulting firm, with offices in British Columbia and overseas.

A former Conservative MP from British Columbia, Gurmant Grewal, was also a part owner of Canadian Nectar Products at one point, and is mentioned as such in the search warrant application. However, he emailed CBC this week to say: "I am not a part-owner of and have not been involved with Canadian Nectar Products since 2017; therefore, I am unaware with their alleged business practices with this matter."

Former Liberal MP Sheila Copps was an early backer of the project who endorsed it back in 2014, making a trip to Prince Edward Island to say she hoped to help make the province "apple capital of the world." Her name is not included in the court documents. 

The allegations contained in those documents, which representatives for the Canada Border Services Agency outlined to P.E.I. provincial court judge Jeff Lantz in a closed-door session while seeking the warrants, have not been proven in court.

On Wednesday of this week, the Canada Border Service Agency confirmed in an email that no charges have been laid in relation to the matter. "This remains an active investigation," the email continued. "The CBSA is bound by the Privacy Act and cannot comment or provide further details on specific individual cases or persons, unless charges have been formally laid."

CBC News made repeated attempts to reach O'Neill and Khaira.