The Ministry of Labour has given a recruitment firm 45 days to repay clients who filed a complaint alleging the company collected their money but never delivered promised jobs in Japan.

According to a letter signed by Minister Ith Sam Heng on Friday, the ministry received complaints from 282 people since February, alleging that they paid $400 to recruitment firm Rice Natural Co Ltd for visas and jobs in Japan, but did not receive either.

If Rice Natural fails to refund money within 45 days, the letter said, their licence will be suspended.

“The company has to halt the recruiting of new workers until a solution is reached for the workers filing complaints,” Sam Heng’s letter read. “[The Labour Ministry] sets 45 days for the company to ensure that no workers have any problems of which they complained.”

However, Rice Natural CEO Phun Sovannrith yesterday said a man named Let Phirun had been operating the scheme without his knowledge.

“I am a victim, I did not know he cheated workers,” Sovannrith said yesterday.

“I have, so far, paid back more than $10,000, using my own money.”