KL married couple plead not guilty to trafficking three Malaysian women to Yemen for exploitation

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — A married couple pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to three charges of trafficking three local women to Yemen since May last year.

Mohd Azfar Abd Ghafar, 37, and Khadijah Yusoff, 31, were charged together with trafficking the women, aged 19, 27 and 38, for the purpose of exploitation at an unnumbered house in Tarim, Yemen from May 25, 2023 to July 4 this year 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 that provides a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and fines if found guilty.

Deputy public prosecutor Amir Haniff Ahijman did not offer bail for both the accused with the reason that the case involved three local women who were exploited abroad.

“If the court wants to use its discretion to offer bail, prosecution suggests it be set at RM50,000 for each of the accused with the additional conditions that their passports be surrendered to the court till the completion of the case and that they report themselves at the nearest police station monthly,” he said.

Defence counsel, lawyer Datuk Adnan Seman, representing both the accused, requested bail to be reduced as the couple’s family were not well off and relied solely on house rental.

“I ask that my clients not need to report themselves to the police station, it’s adequate for them to hand over their passports to the court,” he added.

Judge Rosli Ahmad allowed bail of RM30,000 for each accused with one surety each with the additional conditions as requested by the prosecution, and set case mention for December 16. — Bernama