Chief Magistrate to rule on Trafficking in Person case

Jul 14, 2016 News

A businesswoman, who is before the courts for allegedly trafficking her minor niece for the purpose of labour exploitation, will know her fate on July 29, when Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan is expected to make a ruling in the matters.

It is alleged that between December 12 and December 14, 2014 Joyce Lawrence of Lot 306 Track ‘X’ Plantation, Grove, East Bank Demerara trafficked and transported her niece, who was at the time a minor, by means of threat.

It was further alleged that between December 1, and December 28, 2014 at a night club in Aishalton, Region Nine, Lawrence again trafficked the minor by means of threat.

She is also accused of unlawfully withholding the girl’s identification card, while being her employer. Lawrence is currently out on a total of $650,000 bail.

Yesterday, Police Prosecutor, Neville Jeffers closed his case and presented the court with a lengthy submission. He asked that the defendant be found culpable of the offences since she transported and harboured the minor for labour exploitation.

Jeffers said that the prosecution has proven its case to the requisite proof. He asked the court to believe the evidence given by the prosecution’s witnesses in particular, the evidence of the virtual complainant (VC).

Jeffers said that during the trial the defendant gave sworn evidence and denied trafficking the minor and unlawfully withholding her passport. However, the Prosecutor recalled that in her evidence she admitted to being in possession of the VC’s passport which was handed over to police and tendered as an exhibit in the trial.

“She also admitted that she was in possession of the VC’s cellular phone and that the VC was working with her during the period mentioned in the charge December 2014 to December 2015.”

Jeffers continued, “In her (Lawrence) evidence she accepted transporting the child from Aishalton to Samatta Point, Grove. She wanted the court to believe that the VC came on her own free will.

Jeffers stated that Lawrence called two witnesses to testify on her behalf.

The witnesses, the Prosecutor stated, testified that a meeting was held in Aishalton over missing monies, and that the girl’s father had opposed his daughter being taken to Grove.

According to Jeffers, the defendant trafficked her niece by means of threats that she would be sent to prison if she did not repay monies that was stolen from her.

Jeffers added that the VC worked for the defendant without knowing how much money she had owed her and was being remunerated below the minimum wage.