Eight men have been charged in a significant fraud case related to commercial driver exams in Ontario, with the majority being of Indian descent. Police discovered an alleged bribery scheme connected to Class A licence road tests in the Greater Toronto Area and Kingston. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) report that the eight individuals face a combined total of 24 Criminal Code charges following an extensive year-long investigation into irregularities within the commercial driver testing system. The inquiry started in January 2024 after the Ontario Ministry of Transportation requested assistance from OPP’s Serious Fraud Office to investigate concerns regarding the testing process for commercial Class A licences. According to police, investigators found evidence that bribes were allegedly arranged for preferential treatment during road tests for specific candidates. “The Serious Fraud Office investigation revealed that bribes were facilitated in exchange for favourable consideration during specific applicants’ road examinations,” the OPP stated. The accused hail from various cities across Ontario, including Brampton, Oshawa, Georgetown, North York, Caledon and Kingston. Those charged include: Jaspal Benipal, aged 58, from Brampton; and Harmandeep Sudan, aged 40, also from Brampton. Both are accused of secret commissions and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Navdeep Grewal, aged 36, from Brampton faces charges of secret commissions, money laundering and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Vishnu Ayyamperumal Kumar, aged 36 from Oshawa is charged with secret commissions, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and breach of trust. Mandeep Manshahia, aged 34 from Caledon faces charges related to secret commissions, money laundering as well as conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and breach of trust. The other accused are Craig Berry (54) from Kingston; Victor Imade (55) from Georgetown; and Imraan Jaffer (43) from North York. Berry and Manshahia each face four charges while Imade and Jaffer are looking at three charges each which includes breach of trust. Police allege that this scheme allowed certain applicants to receive unfair advantages during road tests which helped them acquire or try to obtain commercial Class A licences unlawfully. Class A licences enable drivers to operate large vehicles like tractor-trailers over long distances which makes ensuring integrity in the testing process vital for public safety-especially considering some fatal accidents involving immigrant drivers last year. All eight individuals have been released from custody and are set to appear in court.
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