A young Brisbane woman paid up to $20,000 to marry an Indian man broke down in tears while admitting to her role in an alleged visa marriage scam.
Alina Buza cried on the witness stand as she gave evidence in a Brisbane District Court trial of Chetan Mohanlal Mashru and Divya Krishne Gowda.
![The pair pleaded not guilty to arranging weddings out of a Brisbane townhouse between 2011 and 2012](/web/20170202113443im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/m/w/j/6/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu4euz.png/1486030904415.jpg)
Mashru and Gowda have pleaded not guilty to arranging weddings out of a townhouse at Oxley in Brisbane's south-west, between 2011 and 2012.
The court heard on Thursday that Ms Buza also put some of her friends onto the scam so they could also make money.
Ms Buza broke down in tears as she confirmed information on marriage and visa documents lodged with the Department of Immigration were false.
Told about the scheme by fellow bride Josephine Haig, she admitted she took part because she was struggling financially.
Both women told the court they signed their marriage documents the day they met their Indian husbands at the Oxley townhouse.
They denied filling in any of the forms, confirming only that they handed over personal information and signed where they were instructed to.
The court heard the two women received a one-off payment of $5000, followed by $1000 per month.
Ms Haig told the court she was instructed by Mashru to change her address to that of her husband, Pardeep Singh, even though she never lived with him.
She said the newly married couple were also told to set up joint bank accounts and to text one another to make their marriage appear genuine.
Ms Buza also said Mashru gave her a piece of paper instructing the couple to take photos together, set up joint credit cards and go out for dinner.
She told the court she referred her flatmate to marry one of her husband's friends, but soon after she signed the documents she "packed her stuff and left" with the $5000.
The court heard Ms Buza then referred another friend to the scheme.
Both women claimed they had received $1000 in cash from Mashru for referring their friends.
Mr Singh said Mashru told him he could get permanent residency if he married an Australian woman for two years.
He denied he had fabricated his testimony after Mashru, who is representing himself, found discrepancies between what he was saying and a statement he made in 2012.
The former groom said he could only recall about 50 per cent of what happened in 2011, before he changed his mind to say he remembered most of what occurred.
Mr Singh denied he'd been coached on what to say or that he had been offered protection in exchange for his statement.
However, Ms Haig said following a conversation with Immigration Department officials, she became aware she could apply for indemnity if she gave a statement.
The three witnesses confirmed they had not seen Mashru or Gowda fill in any of the documents.
Six grooms and 15 brides are expected to be called to give evidence throughout the trial.
AAP
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