(Trinidad Express) Two more Chinese nationals, including one who was said to be a former military commander in China have been charged with harbouring under age Venezuelan girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The duo made their first appearance in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning accused of the offences which are alleged to have taken place sometime earlier this year.
The accused, Chang Boa Wang and Wei Liang Wu, are believed to be two of the main players in an alleged sex and prostitution ring involving minors operating in this country. However, they did not form part of the initial group of 14 Chinese and five Venezuelan nationals who were taken into custody following a series of police raids in the Woodbrook and Westmoorings areas on February 5.
Instead, they were arrested at later dates as police intensified their investigation into the alleged sex ring.
They were charged on Sunday night and brought to the courthouse shortly after 8 a.m. but did not make their appearance before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine until sometime around 11 a.m.
When the matter was called, members of the public as well as journalists were required to leave the courtroom since the alleged victims were under age girls, whose identities are not to be made public.
However, the Express was informed that both men were jointly charged with harbouring two girls for the purpose of prostitution. After the charges were read, neither of them, who were assisted by a translator, were called upon to plead since the charges were laid indictably.
Wang, police said was a former military commander in Guangzhou, China. Both accused, who were represented by attorney Peter Taylor, were denied bail and remanded into prison custody.
Police prosecutor Cpl Irvin Joseph, informed the court that local officers are yet to be provided with Interpol tracings for the accused to determine if they have ever been convicted in any other jurisdiction.
They will both reappear in court on April 29.
