By Sue-Ann Wayow
THREE people have been granted a total of $1.5 million in bail after being charged for gang and human trafficking related offences.
Rod Willis, 49 and Nathaly Gomez Leandres, 21, both of Tacarigua and Atiba Richards, 45, of Chaguanas, were each charged with two counts of being a gang leader and one count each of trafficking in children, when they appeared before Magistrate Brambhanan Dubay in the Arima Magistrates’ First Court, on Wednesday.
They were each granted $500,000 bail with a surety.
Leandres and Richards had also been charged with inciting a child to become a prostitute and facilitating child prostitution, while Richards faced an additional charge sexual penetration of a child.
As a condition of bail, they are to report to their various district stations once a week between 6 am and 6 pm.
The accused were among five individuals arrested by a team of officers in the Arima district on Saturday, in connection with an alleged human trafficking and child prostitution ring.
The charges were laid by Acting Cpl Persad of the Northern Division following advice received from Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard on Tuesday.
