Businessman accused of bilking Filipino temporary workers expected in N.S. court

A businessman charged with not paying Filipino temporary workers their required wages is expected to be back in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Tuesday. (Shutterstock)

HALIFAX—A businessman charged with not paying Filipino temporary workers their required wages is expected to be back in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Hector Mantolino, owner and operator of Mantolino Property Services Ltd., was charged in June 2013 with 56 counts of immigration fraud following a Canada Border Services Agency investigation.

The 55-year-old briefly appeared in Halifax court last month.

Mantolino is accused of advising foreign workers to provide misleading and untruthful statements on their work permit applications.

He’s also accused of providing false statements to multiple federal departments regarding the workers’ employment conditions, such as their rate of pay.

He allegedly counselled the workers to lie about their wages if they wanted to stay in Canada — with some working for as low as $3.13 per hour.

Documents filed in Dartmouth provincial court said the alleged offences occurred between Jan. 1, 2010 and April 4, 2013.