A 67-year-old business woman has appeared before an Arima Magistrate, charged with receiving a 27-year-old male Bolivian national for the purpose of labour exploitation, which occurred on January 23rd 2013.
Radica Persad, of Liam Crescent, Savonetta Estate, Pt Lisas, appeared before Magistrate Debby-Ann Bassaw, in the Arima 3rd Magistrates’ Court today to answer to the charge.
The accused, who is the owner of R Persad Service Station, Princes Town, was not called upon to plead as the charge was laid indictably and the magistrate upheld the $200,000 bail which was granted to her by a Justice of the Peace on Friday.
As a condition of bail, the accused was ordered to surrender her passport.
She was also ordered to report to the Couva Police Station between 7 am and 7 pm every Thursday.
The matter was adjourned to Monday October 1, 2018 and transferred to the Arima Magistrates’ 1st Court.
The accused is alleged to have brought the victim into the country via the Piarco International Airport, on January 23rd 2013, after promising him a job and a substantial salary.
Upon his arrival, she is alleged to have taken his passport away from him and made him work at her home and then at her business place for two years, while underpaying him for his services.
The victim allegedly managed to escape from the accused in December 2015, and with the assistance of the Living Water Community, he was able to make a report to the Counter Trafficking Unit on January 27th, 2017.