Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 06, 2019 News
In the wake of the arrest and charging of an Essequibo businessman for human trafficking, police in Georgetown and the West Demerara District are moving to stem similar cases in their areas.
This was disclosed by Police Crime Chief, Leslie Alves.
Several strip clubs seem to be springing up around the city and other areas.
Just recently, a team of CID ranks raided a popular nightclub in Poudereyen, West Bank Demerara. They had received reports that the proprietor has a number of girls from Brazil and Venezuela who are here illegally and are performing as strippers and sex workers.
While the girls were not located during the operation, credible sources have said that the club owners were tipped off, and are keeping the girls at a separate house in another location.
Last year, the very nightclub owner was fingered in a similar case where Cuban girls performing as strippers at his club were removed by police from a house in the Roraima Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara.
The house was reportedly rented for them by employees of the nightclub. The girls were taken away by police and reportedly sent back to their country of origin.
It is reported that management of this nightclub has again managed to obtain a fresh group of girls who are in Guyana illegally.
This time around, they are said to be housing them at another location, and not in rooms at the facility as was previously reported.
Yesterday ‘D’ Division Commander, Edmond Cooper, informed that a recent raid came up empty, but noted that he will be willing to investigate fully any reports of human trafficking and prostitutions at any nightclubs on the Westside. He said if business owners are found to be guilty of this practice, they will face the full force of the law.
Points for the police to ponder
Campaigns against this illegal practice are commendable, but police may want to look into the fact that several nightclubs along the West Bank of Demerara are also reportedly engaged in this act.
It is no secret that many clubs on the Westside are also trading in girls from interior locations with promises of a better life. The girls are then made to work at the clubs to attract customers and in some cases to solicit.
There are also reports that a strip club is also operating full fledged on the East Bank Demerara public road, near a popular landmark. During a visit by a Kaieteur News reporter, some of the girls said that they came from countries like Brazil, Venezuela, Montserrat, and other areas. Many admitted that they are in Guyana illegally, as they attempt to seek a better life.
But there have been no reports of any police raids at this club.
The Kaieteur News reporter repeatedly observed patrolling police officers inside the club, in full view of the women.
There is also another popular strip club still operating in Georgetown despite two well publicised raids.
At present, several Guyanese are before the courts for offences related to the alleged exploitation of Venezuelan women.
One accused, Fiona Hopkinson, was slapped with nine counts of trafficking in persons. She is said to have trafficked eight Venezuelan women at the Diamond Hotel and Bar in Georgetown.
Last year, Hopkinson and Rodwell Dempster appeared before a City Magistrate who remanded them to prison for the offences.
It was alleged that Dempster and Hopkinson between September 2017 and January 2018, trafficked five Venezuelan women, who were brought to be commercial sex workers, at the business.
According to reports, police carried out a raid at the club and 41 women, all foreign nationals, were detained. Most were alleged victims of human trafficking.
Soon after, Hopkinson was back in court, this time for allegedly trafficking four Venezuelans for sexual exploitation. She was also charged for withholding an identification card belonging to one of them.
It is alleged that she trafficked the women between September 1, 2018 and October 31, 2018, at Club Diamond.
It was further alleged that between August 28, 2018 and October 31, 2018, Hopkinson unlawfully withheld the identification card of one of the Venezuelan nationals in aid of trafficking in persons.
She once again denied the allegations after they were read to her by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
According to information, on November 3, 2018, the police, at a roadblock, intercepted a car with four Venezuelan nationals. When asked to produce their identification cards, they were unable to do so.
They were taken to CID Headquarters, where they alleged that during the month of August 2018, they were desperately in need of jobs and Hopkinson offered them jobs in Guyana.
While in Guyana, the Venezuelans worked at Club Diamond. It was reported that Hopkinson withheld their identification cards and told them that after they paid off the $600 USD cost for transportation, only then would they be able to get back their identification cards and leave Guyana.
Also before the courts is a Brazilian who has been living in Guyana for the past 11 years. The woman thirty-two-year-old, Christine Rodriguez, who is the owner of the Ola Hotel, which is located at Charlotte Street, is accused of trafficking two Venezuelans for sex and harbouring them for means of labour exploitation.
It is alleged that between November 4 and November 28, last, at Ola Hotel, Charlotte Street, Georgetown, while being an employer of two Venezuelans, for the purpose of trafficking, she knowingly confiscated immigration documents belonging to the women. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It was further alleged that during that same period, Rodriguez engaged in trafficking of persons by harbouring two Venezuelans by means of abuse of her position, she hired the Venezuelans for means of labour exploitation.
According to the police, Rodriguez hired the women to cook at her hotel and they were being paid $12,000 weekly.
However, when the women requested their travel documents, Rodriguez allegedly refused to hand them over. Hence, they reported the matter.
Meanwhile, a miner was also charged in relation to trafficking of Venezuelan women.
It is alleged between November 4 and November 28 last, Arnold Melville, 50 ,of Eteringbang, Cuyuni River, assisted by receiving and transporting two Venezuelans to Christine Rodriguez, to engage in trafficking them for the purpose of labour exploitation.
Also before the court are a couple and a businesswoman. They are on trial for trafficking three Venezuelans for sexual exploitation.
It was alleged that between November 1 and December 31, 2017, Lawrence Williams recruited, transported and harboured three Venezuelan nationals for sexual exploitation.
His wife, June Williams, was also charged with recruiting, transporting and harbouring three Venezuelan women for sexual exploitation between April 1 and 30, 2018, at Itaki, Mazaruni.
Also, businesswoman Arita Gould also faced a charge for trafficking a Venezuelan woman. The charge alleged that Gould, between May 1 and May 31, 2018, he trafficked a Venezuelan national at Itaki, Mazaruni.
According to information, the couple owns the hotel where the women were all allegedly being held.
But Venezuelan men are also being exploited.
A wildlife expert is accused of trafficking two Venezuelan men to work on his farm.
The court heard that 61-year-old Feezal Shaw, a businessman of 69 Soesdyke Linden Highway, held two Venezuelans against their will and forced them to work on his farm by threatening to report that they are illegally in the country.
With this threat, the defendant allegedly refused to pay the victims the salary they agreed to when they were first employed.
The first charge stated that between February 14 and June 14, last, at Soesdyke, Linden Highway, Shaw engaged in trafficking in persons, in that he recruited, transported and harboured Hector Jose Rodriguez, in that he forced him to work without payment, by making constant threats to have him deported.
It was further alleged that between February 14 and June 14, last, at Soesdyke, Linden Highway, Shaw engaged in trafficking in persons, in that he recruited, transported and harboured Eduardo Zarate Vivas, in that he forced him to work without payment, by making constant threats to have him deported.
Shaw was not required to plead to the indictable charges after they were read to him by the Magistrate.
According to the Prosecutor, on February 14, last, the Venezuelans entered Guyana illegally and on the following day, they were taken to a house at Soesdyke.
The court heard that the victims were told that they would be paid $10,000 for each cage that they built for exotic animals, which the defendant normally exports.
The Prosecutor added that the victims were however forced to work on a farm, where they had to feed and take care of animals.
It was reported that after working for three days on the farm, the Venezuelans complained about the work and they were paid $5,000 each.
It was disclosed to the court that on June 6, last, the victims were each given $100,000 and were promised the remainder of the money, but it was never given to them.
The defendant then took away the victims passports and kept it in his possession.
The matter was then reported, an investigation was then carried out and Shaw was charged for the offence.
Laws against Human Trafficking
Trafficking in Persons in Guyana is governed by the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 2005 and came into effect on 7th April 2005. The Act provides for offences; the major one of which is Trafficking in Persons, Section 3 of the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 2005. Trafficking in Persons includes engaging in, or assisting another person to engage in or organizing or directing other persons to engage in trafficking in persons.
Trafficking means recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receiving a person by means of threat or the use of force or other means of coercion, or by abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability, or by giving or receiving payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purposes of exploitation.
Exploitation means keeping a person in a state of slavery, subjecting a person to practices similar to slavery, compelling or causing a person to provide forced labour or services, keeping a person in a state of servitude, including sexual servitude, exploitation of prostitution of another, engaging in any form of commercial sexual exploitation, including but not limited pimping, pandering procuring, profiting from prostitution, maintaining a brothel, child pornography, illicit removal of human organs.
The offence consists of three elements:
The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receiving a person; by means of threat or the use of force or other means of coercion, or by abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability, or by giving or receiving payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person; or purposes of exploitation.
The charges are both summary and indictable.
The summary offences carry a mandatory penalty of imprisonment for a minimum sentence of not less than three years and a maximum sentence of not more than five years.
Persons found guilty can also have their property forfeited. The property includes but is not limited to money, valuables and other movable and immovable property, which was used or intended to be used or was obtained in the course of the crime, or benefits gained from the proceeds of the crime. The property includes overseas assets and is forfeited to the State.
Restitution
Courts can also order the persons convicted to pay full restitution to the trafficked persons.
Restitution shall compensate the victim for costs of medical and psychological treatment, physical and occupational therapy and rehabilitation, necessary transportation, temporary housing and childcare, lost income, attorney’s fees, compensation for emotional distress, pain and suffering and any other losses suffered by the victim. The restitution is paid promptly to the victim upon conviction of the defendant with the proceeds from the property forfeited applied first to payment of restitution.
Indictable Charges
In the case of an indictable charge, there is also a mandatory penalty of imprisonment to a minimum sentence of not less than five years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Consent
The alleged consent of a victim is irrelevant. Also irrelevant is the victim’s past sexual behaviour for the purpose of providing that the victim engaged in other sexual behaviour or to prove the victim’s predisposition. Age of consent to sex or legal age of marriage shall not be used as a defence.
Victim Immunity
Victims of human trafficking are immune from being criminally charged for any migration-related offence, prostitution, or any other criminal offence that was a direct result from being trafficked.
Assistance
Assistance is provided for victims in the legislation under Part III including protection for victims from being recaptured by traffickers, security for the victim and their family from threats, reprisals or intimidation by the traffickers and their associates. Victims are also eligible for witness protection.
This is a modern piece of legislation by the Government of Guyana and makes provision for many things not provided for in other criminal offences and hearings.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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