(Trinidad Express) Seventy-five women appeared in San Fernando Magistrates’ Court yesterday facing prostitution-related charges.
All pleaded not guilty.
Three men charged with managing a brothel also appeared before the San Fernando Fourth Court.
The women, who are nationals of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, appeared before Magistrate Margaret Alert, who took two and a half hours to deal with the cases.
She read the charges to eight women at a time, while Spanish interpreter Luz Marina Tapias De Copilah translated.
It is alleged that last Friday at Classic Seamen Hotel, Elizabeth Street, Vistabella, the women solicited passersby for the purpose of prostitution.
Police prosecutor Veano Ragoo objected to bail being granted to ten of the women as he told the court they were in this country illegally.
Two of them denied this, saying they were married to Trinidadians and were in Trinidad legitimately. But they were told that there was a process that needed to be completed and citizenship by this means was not automatic.
The ten were remanded in prison custody and told of their right to apply to a judge for bail. They will return to court on March 21.
One of the women, who said she had an application for extension of time to be in Trinidad, will reappear in court today as immigration officers are to verify whether the document she showed the court was authentic.
Another is to face the court tomorrow as she said she is scheduled to leave the country on Friday to attend to her mother who is to undergo an operation. Those against whom the police made no objection to bail were placed on TT$10,000 bail and ordered to re-appear in court on April 8 and June 12 and 24. The men who appeared for managing a brothel were ordered to return to court on April 23.
Kern Ross, Sheldon Lewis and Vaughn Eversley had been granted bail at the police station and yesterday faced Alert represented by attorney Keith Beckles.
Last Friday, police officers from the San Fernando Criminal Investigations Department, Special Branch and immigration officers were involved in a raid at the hotel.
Constables Dailey and Clarence laid the charges.
The women were represented by attorneys Subhas Panday, Ainsley Lucky, Shaun Teekasingh and Annalee Girwar.