Woman in human trafficking case further remanded

Woman charged with alleged human trafficking was further remanded by High Court of Suva yesterday.

Seta Ram appeared before Justice Thushara Rajasinghe charged alongside her sister Geeta Chandra, who resides in Australia.

Ram’s lawyer Adi Sovatabua Colavanua, was not present in court to represent her client.

Ram informed the court that her lawyer was not present in court because they knew the case would be called on October 18 instead of yesterday.

She said she was informed of her case yesterday morning.

Justice Rajasinghe adjourned the matter pending bail hearing for the accused. Both accused are charged with 17 counts of trafficking in persons, 16 counts of obtaining property by deception and two counts of money laundering.

The two were alleged to have facilitated the travel of 17 Fijian citizens who were exploited and became victims of human trafficking in New Zealand between April and September 2014 and obtained a total of $52,142 from the 17 complainants by deception.

For the money laundering charges, it is alleged disposed $79,991.40 into a Bank of the South Pacific account and in 2014, Ram allegedly disposed $2525 into two Australia and New Zealand Bank accounts that were the proceeds of crime.

The accused has been remanded in custody and the matter was adjourned to October 18.