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The luncheon at Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel — tickets were $90 for non-Chamber members — was called a “non-partisan” event.

It was titled a “Luncheon with Justin Trudeau — Real Change: Restoring Fairness and Growth to the Middle Class.”

The message might have been lost on some in the crowd. Event sponsor Paul Oei has been featured in The New Yorker as a “fixer” and “unofficial ambassador” for ultra-wealthy Chinese clients looking for advice on how to immigrate to B.C. and invest their riches. Oei and his wife own six luxury vehicles and four homes, B.C. lending and title documents show.

In civil court cases that are separate from, but related to, the Securities Commission accusations, investors allege Oei and his wife, Loretta Lai, led them to believe investments in Fraser Valley recycling plant company Cascade were supported by the B.C. government and would let the investors apply for resident status in Canada.

Instead, the Commission alleged, Oei diverted $6.9 million of the $13.3 million raised for Cascade into his personal bank accounts, using that to fund his immigration-investment business, Canadian Manu, and to make charity donations, rent luxury cars and pay credit card bills.

It alleges that between June and August 2013, Oei told Cascade investors they could roll their Cascade funds into a new company called Organic Eco-Centre Corp., with a 15 per cent “top-up.”

“Oei did not disclose to the Cascade investors that he had given Cascade less than half of the money he raised from investors,” the Commission alleged. “He raised an additional $202,000 from 18 Cascade investors.”