Chinese Prostitutes' Case

By Stephen Kwabena Effah

Monday, 27 April 2009

An Accra circuit court will on June 2, deliver judgement in the trial of the three Chinese who allegedly trafficked seven female Chinese into the country for prostitution.

The court, presided over by Mrs. Elizabeth Ankumah, fixed the date after the prosecution and the defence counsel filed their addresses with the court.

The three accused persons James Xu Jim, his wife, Chou Xiou Ying and his brother, Sam Shan Zifan were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and human trafficking, but they pleaded not guilty.

The trial, began on March 5, and the court heard nine prosecution witnesses and one defence witness. On April 6, it went on a fact-finding mission to the house where the victims were allegedly exploited by the accused.

The trip was at the request of the prosecution to enable it to prove its case that the house, at La, a suburb of Accra, was being used as a brothel and not a restaurant as claimed by the accused.

The rescue of the seven females by the police followed months of investigation by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, into the activities of the three accused persons.

On February 14, the police raided the house and suburb of La called Agyemang, where the three accused persons were arrested and the seven female victims rescued. A car allegedly used by the accused to convey their victims to their clients was also impounded.