KOTA KINABALU: Two men were freed by the Sessions Court here yesterday of seven charges of trafficking in seven Filipinas for sex exploitation.
Judge Ainul Shahrin Mohammad acquitted and discharged Eu Choy Moon and Tham Weng Sang without calling for their defence on seven joint charges under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling Migrants Act 2007.
Each of the charge carries a maximum jail of 20 years and a fine, upon conviction.
The first to the seventh counts alleged the two men of trafficking in the seven foreigners aged between 21 and 25 at an entertainment outlet along Jalan Bunga Dahlia in Labuan on October 22, 2015.
In her reserved decision, the court held that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the two men.
Meanwhile, Juvy Banting Del Rosario, 30, was ordered to enter her defence by the same court for committing a similar offence.
Juvy was accused of trafficking in the seven women at the same time and place.
The court fixed June 1-2 for the accused to enter her defence.
In a separate case, the bail application of a 63-year-old man, who faces two charges of trafficking in two Thai women, was rejected by the Sessions Court here.
Judge Azreena Aziz made the decision on Chai Vun Hing, who hails from Sandakan, after the prosecution objected to the application.
On the first charge, Chai was accused of trafficking in a woman aged 21 at a hotel in Bundusan Square, Penampang on April 3 around 4am, for the purpose of exploitation.
The second charge accused Chai of committing the same crime on a 22-year-old woman at the same place and on the same day, around 11am.
Both the charges were framed under Section 12 of the same Act which is punishable by a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine, upon conviction.
In the meantime, the accused was ordered to be held in custody pending disposal of the case.