Principal accused of hiring visitor

A Muslim secondary school principal assisted a Turkish man in allegedly breaching his condition of stay as a visitor by employing him as an English teacher for four weeks, a court heard yesterday.

Yu Chi-wan, principal of Islamic Kasim Tuet Memorial College in Chai Wan, applied to the Education Department to register Huseyin Erdal Yerlikaya as a temporary teacher between September 1, 1999, and March 31, 2000, Kowloon City Court was told.

Yu had also applied to the Immigration Department for a working visa for the same period for Yerlikaya, the court heard.

Testifying yesterday, an assistant officer for the Education Department, Ng Ki-yee, said she received the school's application letter, including Yerlikaya's travel documents and academic qualifications, on August 26, 1999, requesting to employ Yerlikaya as a temporary teacher during the six-month period.

Ms Ng said the department later sent two replies saying they found Yerlikaya did not have a Hong Kong identity card and that his passport classified him as a visitor. As a result, the school was asked to obtain clarification from the Immigration Department and to decide whether to continue with its application, the court heard.

But Ms Ng said the department only received a letter from the school a month later saying it would like to withdraw the application, by which time it is alleged Yerlikaya had already worked as a temporary English teacher at the school for four weeks, the court heard.