Sex trafficking: Trio jailed
Published on: Saturday, March 23, 2024
By: Jo Ann Mool
They were jointly charged under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which provides for a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine, on conviction.
Kota Kinabalu: A Filipina and two men were jailed a total of 49 years each by the Court of Appeal, here, Friday, on seven joint charges of trafficking seven Filipinas for sexual exploitation.
A three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Supang Lian, Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Datuk Wong Kian Kheong, unanimously, allowed an appeal by the prosecution against the lower court’s decision in discharging and acquitting Bambie Amor Relloque, 40, Esekeroboy Asing, 40, and Ng Vai Kwang, 57, from the charge at the end of their defence.
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The appellate court set aside the Sessions Court’s decision and convicted the three respondents of all seven charges.
The three respondents were each sentenced to seven years jail on each charge.
The court ordered them to serve the imprisonment sentences concurrently from Friday, meaning they only have to serve seven years each.
The prosecution was appealing against the High Court’s decision to dismiss their appeal against the Session Court’s order to acquit and discharge the three.
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On Jan 25, 2019, the Sessions Court freed the three respondents at the end of their defence.
The respondents had trafficked the Filipinas aged between 19 and 28, at 5.30pm on May 13, 2017 at a house in Jalan Kemajuan, Kg Parit in Labuan.
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They were jointly charged under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which provides for a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine, on conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Amril Johari for the prosecution as appellant while the trio were represented by counsel Edward Paul.
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