Jury trial for human trafficking

Whilst in the Eastman case the crime involved the alleged exploitation of women, the case involving Guness pertains to the alleged exploitation of a Guyanese man, aged 21.

Guness’ son, Vishaal, 22, was charged with two counts of occasional bodily harm to the alleged victim.

Another man, Suresh Samaroo, was also charged with occasioning actual bodily harm to the alleged victim.

The father and son and Samaroo had been before Senior Magistrate Armina Deonarinesingh in the Siparia Magistrates’ Court on the charges which were laid indictably.

The magistrate had been conducting a Preliminary Inquiry into the charges which allege that the acts had been committed on September 14, 2013.

The charges contend that on that date, Guness recruited the Guyanese national into Trinidad or transported or harboured him for the purpose of his exploitation.

He also was charged with occasioning actual bodily harm to the alleged victim between October 1, and October 25, 2013.

The charges were laid by Police Constable Nicole Andrews of the Counter Trafficking Unit. State attorney Sarah De Silva, prosecuted the matter.

The assault charge against Guness, his son and Samaroo, were also prosecuted indictably by De Silva.

Attorney Ravi Rajcoomar represented the three and made legal submissions to the magistrate. On Monday, Deonarinesingh delivered a written ruling in which she found that a prima facie case had been made out by the prosecution.

She committed the three to stand trial before a judge and jury.

The magistrate granted Guness bail in the sum of $150,000 and Vishaal and Samaroo bail amounting to $60,000 each.