KUCHING: The Sessions Court here yesterday issued a warrant of arrest against a husband and wife charged with (four counts) of human trafficking and harbouring illegal immigrants after they failed to turn up in court yesterday.
The cases against the accused Fernandez Ong Kim Lim, 36, and Ling Mih Mih, 37, were mentioned separately in three different courts with each court ordering the date of return on June 24 at 9am.
The couple from Pisang Road West allegedly committed the offence at their house around 11am on Feb 24 this year.
They allegedly exploited women, aged 22 to 37 years old, by making them do forced labour and harboured one of them believed to not having any valid travel pass.
They are being charged under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment up to 15 years and liable to a fine.
For harbouring illegal immigrants, they face a jail term of six months to five years and a maximum fine of RM10,000 to RM50,000 per employee, and up to six strokes of the cane if convicted.