KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Five people, including two women, pleaded not guilty in three Sessions Court here today to 13 counts each of trafficking in foreign women for sexual exploitation.

The accused are Ng Wai Hong, 36; Low Foo Hoe, 46; Yeong Kim Loon, 44, and the two women, Lim Lean See, 52, and Wong Yook Lin, 47.

The charges were read to them separately before judges Mohd Nasir Nordin, Allaudeen Ismail and Sohaini Alias.

The accused, who are self-employed, except Yeong, who is a cook, are charged with trafficking in nine foreign women of Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese nationalities with intention to use them for sexual exploitation and other unlawful activities, at a spa of a hotel in Batu 5, Jalan Klang Lama here at 10.30pm last February 20.

All of them are charged under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking In Persons Act 2007 which provides an imprisonment for up to 15 years and is liable to fine, if found guilty.

They are also charged with trafficking in four Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese under-age girls (all below 17 years-old) for the same purpose at the same place, time and date.

The charge, under Section 14 of the same law, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine, if found guilty.

Judge Mohd Nasir allowed Ng bail of RM4,000 on each count in one surety, while judge Allaudeen set bail at RM7,000 and RM8,000 in one surety on each count for Lim and Low.

Yeong and Wong were allowed bail of RM4,500 in one surety on each count by judge Sohaini.

All five of them were ordered to surrender their passport to the court and to report themselves at the nearest police station every month pending the disposal of their case.

They are also warned against intimidating the victims and witnesses.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam, who prosecuted, requested for a joint hearing of all the cases before Allaudeen as they involved the same victims and transactions.

Lawyer Chris Kooi Wei Kit, who represented all the accused did not object and Allaudden set April 4 to hear the case. — Bernama