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Businessman accused of trafficking women for sex faces more charges
A businessman who was charged two weeks ago for allegedly trafficking nine Brazilian women, was yesterday released on bail after facing a charge of-knowingly possessing their identifications cards.
Mark Figueroa
Mark Figueroa, 34, of Bel Air Promenade was indicted on eight counts of the offence, after he made an appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that between August18 and August 24, last at Providence, East Bank Demerara, acting as the employer of the women, Figueroa knowingly possessed their identification card.
The defendant was released on $25,000 bail on each count, a total of $200,000.
He was instructed to return to court today in relation to the Trafficking in Person (TIP) allegation.
Figueroa and Joaquin Fillio are jointly charged with engaging in TIP between August 18 and 24 at Providence; where they recruited, transported and harboured the nine foreign nationals for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Figueroa was released on $1.8M bail. The Magistrate had remanded Fillio to prison based on the fact that he is a foreign national.
Police Prosecutor Shevon Jupiter had told the court that the defendants held the women against their will. The prosecutor told the court that the women were beaten and held at gunpoint.
However, an attorney for Figueroa argued that the women were not held against their will. He claimed that the Brazilians came to Guyana to perform at Palm Court and were staying at his client’s house.
The Investigation Rank (IR) in the matter informed the court that the victims are currently in custody of the Brazilian Embassy in Guyana.
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Weekend Cartoon
Wow, that amount of money in Guyana for charges is a drop in the ocean. He needed to be on at least 3 million dollars bail because this is a serious charge, it seems that the law has no regards for human-lives.