LORETTA Hyman, of Lot 1801 Parika, East Bank Essequibo, charged with trafficking in persons, was, yesterday, ordered by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry to post $1M surety. The 45-year-old shopkeeper faced the indictable charge that said, between January 13 and 20, 2014, she recruited and transported two women to Mowasi Backdam, Potaro District, for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Police Inspector Michael Grant, prosecuting, said the daughter of the accused recruited two women in their early 20s to work as a cook and a shopkeeper at their business place in Mowasi Backdam.
However, on their arrival there, the accused told them that there is no vacancy for the positions of which they were told. Instead, there is employment for sex workers and that is the reason they came.
But the virtual complainants refused to sell their bodies and managed to contact their relatives, who informed the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
The police then made contact with the accused and the two victims related their stories.
The prosecutor had objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and the fact that investigations are pending. He said the police are trying to locate the whereabouts of the daughter of the accused and it is likely she will also be charged.
Attorney-at-law Mr. Lyndon Amsterdam, representing Hyman, made application for the granting of pre-trial freedom, claiming that the accused works at a shop with her daughter and, at no material time, recruited the virtual complainants or caused them to travel to the area.
Counsel, noting that the prosecutor said investigations are still pending, suggested that the charge is premature and the facts are not clear.
In addition, he said there is no evidence to satisfy the element for which the accused was charged and the prosecution ought to satisfy the Court, at this stage, for bail to be denied.
However, the objection was overruled and the case was put off to February 3.