KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — A Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) member and four Indian nationals pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to charges of trafficking seven women from their home country for sexual exploitation.
Corporal S. Kobinath, 34; Indian nationals Mathan, 21; Thanaletchumy, 57; Vasanthy Shanmukham, 44; and Muniswary, 25, were jointly charged with trafficking seven victims, aged between 30 and 40, for sexual exploitation at a hotel on Jalan Ampang, Dang Wangi, at 1am on September 30.
The charge was framed under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum of 20 years, and a possible fine upon conviction.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Habibullah Mohammad Shah offered bail of RM20,000 with one surety for Kobinath, while no bail was offered to the four other accused, as they are foreign nationals.
Defence lawyer P. Muniswer, representing Kobinath, appealed for bail to be reduced to RM8,000, citing that his client is supporting his elderly parents.
Meanwhile, lawyers R.M. Muniandy and Erickka Farrise Amir, representing Thanaletchumy and Vasanthy, respectively, applied for bail to be granted to their clients.
Muniswary, who was unrepresented, told the court that she was staying with friends in Malaysia and had no family in the country.
Judge Azura Alwi allowed bail of RM10,000 with one surety for Kobinath, and RM20,000 with two sureties each for Thanaletchumy and Vasanthy. However, the other two accused, Mathan and Muniswary, were denied bail.
