Ten men, including five Indonesians, have been jointly charged at the Sessions Court in Ipoh with human trafficking. The accused individuals, named as Tan Ke Huat, S. Ananthan, PA Suresh, S. Sivalingam, Mohd Johan Musa, Eko Rahmadani, Erfanni, Tuah, Siprianus Nahak Lutan, and Klau Norfrianus Erick, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The charge was brought against them under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrant Act 2007, along with Section 34 of the Penal Code. The case was read before Judge Azizah Ahmad on Tuesday (July 25).
If convicted, the accused individuals could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail, a fine, or both. The accused, ranging in age from 22 to 52 years old, are alleged to have smuggled 35 migrants from Indonesia into an oil palm estate in Batu 10, Segari, Manjung between June 20 and 30.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Afiqah Izzati Mazlan requested a two-month period to obtain statements from the migrants and to transfer the case to the High Court. Lawyer Kashvinder Singh, representing Ananthan, expressed hope that the Sessions Court would grant his client bail, noting that the charge did not carry the punishment of death or life imprisonment.
“We hope the court can use its discretion to allow bail, even with conditions,” Singh stated. He also highlighted that his client has asthma and had been detained for over 20 days at the Manjung police station. “His health has deteriorated, and his family had to bring medicine to him,” Singh added.
Mohamad Khazali Yin, the representative for Eko Rahmadani, noted that his client is married to a local and has a family. “We have no issues in getting two sureties and complying with any conditions set if bail is granted,” Yin said.
Judge Azizah stated that the court does not have jurisdiction to hear the accused individuals’ requests for bail. She allowed a two-month period for case management and the recording of statements from the migrants. The next mention in the case was set for September 25.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
