KUALA KANGSAR: The Sessions Court here has freed an oil palm plantation manager of 15 charges of trafficking 15 individuals, including two teenagers, who were forced into slave labour.
L Ganis, 44, was acquitted of all charges after the court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against him.
In his ruling, Judge Ahzal Fairuz Ahmad Khairuddin said the prosecution had also failed to call some crucial witnesses to testify during trial.
He said a total of 25 witnesses had testified, including the 15 victims who all said they were given jobs at the plantation and not forced to work there.
“The prosecution also failed to prove that the victims had been abused, physically harmed or prevented to leave the plantation on their own free will,” he said.
Ganis was accused of committing the offence at Ladang Koperasi Kelapa Sawit Sdn Bhd, in Kroh, Belukar Semang, Kampung Tasek Pengkalan Hulu, Gerik between April 2016 and February 26 last year.
He was accused of trafficking eight men and seven women, aged between 13 and 66.
The victims were identified as M Susila, S Lechemy, P Lechumy, M Thaarsini, J Parvathi, R Krishthammah, K Shanti, V Sinaya, S Vijayan, SKannaya, P Vasudevan, R Ponnan, P Sundaram and two teenagers.
The offences, under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007, carries a maximum 20-years jail and fine.
In July, the Teluk Intan Sessions Court had also freed Ganis of abducting a couple who were witnesses in another charge which the accused faced.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Hasyutantee Khalil while the accused was represented by Haresh Mahadevan and Ramzani Idris.