Alleged victim in CW-1 scam admits they begged Phan, fiancée to renew contracts

Mohammad Tazizul Islam, one of the alleged victims in the CW-1 scam, testified yesterday that he and other Bangladeshi workers begged to TBK Auto Shop owner David Trung Quoc Phan and his fiancée, Analyn Nunez, to renew their CW-1 permit applications.

Islam said they begged Phan and Nunez because they spent a lot of money just to come and work on Saipan and that four months after arriving here, their CW-1 permits were already expiring.

Phan agreed to renew their contracts, said Islam in the continuation of his testimony in the ongoing jury trial in federal court of defendants Phan, Nunez, Muksedur Rahman, Rahman’s wife Shahinur Akter, and Md. Rafiqul Islam.

Witness Islam agreed with defense counsel Steven Pixley, counsel for Phan, that Phan, who has a big heart, agreed to renew their contracts.

At Pixley’s cross examination, Islam admitted that he lied before the U.S. Embassy about his job qualification just to get here on Saipan.

Islam said when he arrived on Saipan on April 21, 2016, Phan and defendant Rahman met him at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.

He said it was the first time he met Phan.

Islam said he never saw Phan in Bangladesh and that Phan never paid him money in Bangladesh.

Islam said he paid 57,000 Takas to defendant Zeahur Rahman Dalu, through Dalu’s mother in Bangladesh, but she never gave him a receipt.

He said the mother stated there is no need for receipt as she and him are living in the same village.

Islam said upon arriving from the airport, Phan took him to Rahman’s house.

He said Phan gave each of the recruited Bangladesh workers, including him, $50, and some utensils for use at the house.

At TBK, Islam said he was able to do whatever work assigned to him.

He said after TBK, he went to Kensington Hotel, where he made cleaning work for only one day.

He said his CW-1 permit expired on Oct. 28, 2016.

At direct examination by assistant U.S. attorney James Benedetto, Islam said his work at Phan’s TBK lasted only for one month and 15 days.

He said after working for three days at TBK, he was told to find a job.

He said after working for one day at Kensington, he was told not to go back so he went back to TBK.

Islam said he received the minimum wage from TBK and that Nunez was the one who would hand him the cash payment.

He said at TBK, he was required to pay the $470 as processing fee for CW-1 permit renewal.

Islam said as there was no job they went to Rahman, who told them just to wait.

He said they went to Nunez, but the latter was angry at them.

He said he had no job and money at that time.

Islam said Phan told him he was not supposed to give him a job.

He said he talked with Rahman, who told him to speak to Dalu.

Islam said they told Nunez that they paid a lot of Takas just to work on Saipan, but she told them that the company cannot pay him back the money.

He said Nunez told him that Rahman was supposed to give him a job.

He said Phan told him he would talk to Rahman.

Islam said during a meeting with Phan at Rahman’s house, he and other complaining Bangladeshi workers told Phan they each paid large amounts of money in Bangladesh.

Islam said Rahman was possibly translating in a different way to Phan as they are not good in English.

He said Phan stated he would take care of the renewal of their CW-1 permits.

Islam said he told Rahman it took them so much money to come to Saipan and asked him to pay them back.

He said Rahman stated he did not get any payment, but Dalu pointed to Rahman as to who got the payment.

He said Dalu stated whatever money he took he would return and told Rahman to do so also.

As an argument ensued, Islam said, Phan told them he would renew their contracts.

Islam said he told Phan how much money he paid in Bangladesh to come to Saipan. He said Rahman told them not to tell Phan about money payments.

Islam said at Rahman’s house, Rahman tried to beat him.

He said defendant Akter, who is Rahman’s wife, stated she would call the police if Islam and the other workers come again, and that she would file a rape case against them.

Islam said he then talked to attorney Pamela Brown about their situation.

He said at the U.S. Embassy in Bangaldesh, the person there never asked him about such kind of question whether he had an experience with auto body repair.

Islam said after this case is over, he still likes to stay on Saipan and work.

Islam completed his testimony yesterday. The trial will resume today, Thursday, at 8am. U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington Senior U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour is presiding over the trial.