Pakistani Facing Human Trafficking Charges Denied Bail

Ludo Kwapa | Monday February 25, 2019 13:47

 

Ghafoor who allegedly claims to be an investor but had entered the country through an ungazzetted area, appeared before Village Magistrate’s Court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges laid against him.

He has been charged, amongst others with promotion of trafficking in persons, smuggling of persons and trafficking in persons.

During a court session before Principal Magistrate Makofi, the accused’s lawyer Sesupo Masaka explained to the magistrate that his client did not fully understand English, but rather bits of it and would like to have an interpreter who speaks Pakistani, but most preferably Urdu language to enhance his communication with the court.

However, Makofi indicated to the accused that it  would not be easy to get one such interpreter.

The accused, when asked by the magistrate if he understood all the charges laid against him, boldly stated that the people in question are his employees who came in with a VISA.

Masaka argued that his client was in bad health.

“Mian spent two days in Marina after he was arrested and he also spent three hours at Marina Hospital yesterday” he explained.

He further said that issues about his client’s operations would be dealt with during trial rather as of now it is a mandate to deal with his client’s liberation and therefore he should be granted bail.

In an attempt to further convince the magistrate to grant his client bail, Masaka said Ghafoor can barely move a step and therefore will not be a flight risk and his bail conditions should order that he reports to Mogoditshane Police daily.

Meanwhile, the State had requested that the accused person be further remanded in custody due to the fact that he seemed to not have entered the country in a legitimate way, more so that immigration has no trace of him in their system.

They further stated that the accused has documents of a country different from where he is from.

The accused is said to have a driver’s licence and identity card of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The magistrate moved in favour of the State.

The State is to have a police officer on the stand on April 2, 2019 to elaborate more on the basis of why the accused should await trial while in custody.

The accused is to return to court on March 12 for a status update.