Kaluga clarifies role in cancelled overseas job recruitment event in Old Harbour

Kaluga Seafood Restaurant issued a forceful statement late Tuesday seeking to distance itself from the four-day hiring event that was set to begin July 9 at its West Street location. The event was abruptly halted following a public warning from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The ministry had flagged a viral social media advertisement promoting the Old Harbour recruitment drive, declaring it was “not authorised, endorsed or facilitated by the ministry” while urging jobseekers to “protect yourself from employment fraud”.

But Kaluga owner Adrian Samuda says his business was merely a venue rental and had nothing to do with the event's organisation.

“Kaluga Seafood Restaurant’s involvement was limited to renting its premises for what was represented as a private event,” the restaurant’s statement read. “The restaurant had no role in organizing, promoting, managing, or conducting the recruitment exercise and had no involvement in the recruitment process itself.”

Samuda expressed concern that the term “scam” had been applied to the situation in public discourse, causing what he called “significant reputational harm” to his business, employees and loyal customers.

“If the issue related to the organizer’s authorization or regulatory compliance, clearer language distinguishing the event organizer from the venue would have helped avoid unnecessary damage to an uninvolved local business,” Samuda said.

Meanwhile, Obryan Leighton, a well-known Old Harbour figure, has come forward as the local representative for Recruitment Compass Canada, the agency behind the overseas work programme. Leighton is now addressing the confusion and attempting to clarify the legitimacy of the Canadian opportunities.

The recruitment push was for Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Programme, which allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals to fill labour shortages. Such programmes typically require authorisation from both Jamaican and Canadian authorities.

The Ministry of Labour has not commented further on the specific deficiencies in the event’s approval.

Kaluga Seafood Restaurant, which says it has served Old Harbour for many years, is now appealing to the public not to associate the eatery with the actions of any third-party event organiser. The restaurant welcomed any clarification that accurately reflects its limited role.

The cancelled event had been widely circulated on social media, drawing significant interest from jobseekers in the Old Harbour area and beyond.