2 more in court for sex-ring bust

TWO more foreigners have appeared in court on charges stemming from an alleged sex-ring bust in Westmoorings and Woodbrook in February.

Two men, both from China, appeared before acting deputy Chief Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine in the Port of Spain Fifth Court on charges that they harboured two young girls for sexual exploitation.

Jan Boa Wang and Wei Liang Wu were jointly charged, but details of the charges were not revealed, as the courtroom was cleared when they were read out.

It is understood that neither man was granted bail, as there was an objection by police prosecutors, who submitted that investigators were still doing extensive checks to determine whether either of them had been convicted of any other crime in other jurisdictions.

The two are to return to court on April 29. Before the courtroom was cleared, the police sought to have the charges amended. A qualified interpreter in Mandarin Chinese was sworn in to assist the two men, but Antoine said since the interpreter was present while the police interviewed the men, she would not be able to testify when the preliminary inquiry begins, and steps would have to be taken to have someone else provide translation services.

The men were represented by defence attorney Peter Taylor. So far, four others have been charged with varying offences arising out of February’s sex -and drug-ring bust.

In February, two Chinese men appeared in a Tunapuna court, charged under the Gambling and Betting Act for assembling to engage in illegal gambling in a public place and for possession of ammunition found in their house.

Last month, a Venezuelan woman and her Chinese boyfriend were slapped with a total of 43 charges stemming from the raid. They first appeared before a Port of Spain magistrate on March 15, and reappeared last week, when they were again denied bail, since police are yet to receive Interpol tracing for both of them.

During the February 5 raid on private and commercial properties in Curepe, Woodbrook and Westmoorings, police rescued 19 Spanish-speaking girls between 15 and 19.