Maid Agency Owner Gets Six Years For Trafficking Two Filipino Women

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court sentenced the owner of a maid agency to a total of six years jail on Friday after finding him guilty on two counts of trafficking two Filipino women four years ago. Judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain handed down a three-year jail sentence on each of the two charges and ordered Singaporean Eugene Lim Beng Huat to serve the jail terms concurrently. Lim, 40, was charged with trafficking Marivic Relon Capistrano (rpt) Marivic Relon Capistrano, 35, and Marilou de la Cruz Bagsit (rpt) Marilou de la Cruz Bagsit, 37, at No. 18, Jalan Metro Perdana Barat 15, Kepong, near here at 5 am on June 30, 2008. Both the charges were framed under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 which provides for a maximum jail term of 15 years and a fine upon conviction. DPP Nurul Asyiqin Zulkifli adduced five witnesses while the defence produced eight. The judge allowed an application by Lim's counsel, Tan Wee Yee, for a stay of the execution of sentence pending appeal to the High Court. He ordered that bail of RM40,000 (US$13,031.35) in one surety be raised to RM50,000 (US$16,289.19) and Lim surrender his passport to the court and report to the nearest police station once a month pending settlement of the appeal. -- BERNAMA