KUALA KANGSAR, Oct 25 — L. Ganis was today acquitted of trafficking 15 Malaysians, including two boys, whom he purportedly forced into labour at an oil palm plantation in Perak last year.

The 44-year-old oil palm plantation supervisor walked free after Sessions Court judge Ahzal Fairuz Ahmad Khairuddin ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case.

The judge noted that the purported victims had testified in court that they were offered wages to work at an oil palm plantation, which disproved the element of forced labour.

"The victims were paid salaries. So how can there be elements of forced labour?” he asked.

The judge also said in his judgment that the accused did not stop the workers from leaving the plantation, contrary to allegations that they had been deprived of food.

"They are given the freedom to move about. Their homes were not locked. The accused even gave them a motorcycle,” he said.

He told the prosecution that it needed to show proof that supported claims the accused had roughed up the 15.

"Based on the lack of credibility by the witnesses, the court frees the accused from all charges,” Ahzal Fairuz said.

Ganis from Bahau, Negri Sembilan was charged with 12 counts of trafficking in persons by means of threat or force under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling in Migrants Act 2007, two counts of trafficking in children under Section 14, and one count of trafficking in persons under Section 12 of the same Act.

His alleged victims were six men, two teenage boys, and seven women aged between 13 and 66 whom he was accused of forcing to work at an oil palm plantation in Belukar Semang, Kampung Tasek in Pengkalan Hulu between April 2016 and February 26 last year.

If he had been found guilty, he could have been sentenced to jail for a term between three and 15 years and a fine under Section 12. Section 13 carries a sterner punishment of jail between three and 20 years, in addition to the fine as it deals with children and forced labour.

Ganis was represented by Ramzani Idris and M. Haresh while Hasyutantee Khalil prosecuted.