A Bangkok-based tourism company was at the centre of scheme to transport Thai women to work in the Australian sex industry illegally, a court has heard.
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And a former Thai cosmetic saleswoman allegedly held a slave in a Canberra brothel says turned to prostitution to help put her son through school and pay off the mortgage on her family’s rice field.
A Kambah woman is on trial in the ACT Supreme Court accused of offences under the federal Migration Act, perverting the course of justice and possessing the woman as a slave.
But Watcharaporn Nantahkhum has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and her lawyer has urged the jury to keep an open mind.
The charges relate to two Thai women employed by the 45-year-old to work as prostitutes servicing clients out of apartments in Braddon in 2007.
The women cannot be named for legal reasons.
The first complainant, who arrived in Australia in June 2007, this afternoon told the court she was driven to prostitution by financial woes back home.
The witness said she met a woman who told her there was money to be made in Australia’s sex industry and put her in touch with someone who could facilitate the move.
“I was interested because I thought I would be able to make a lot of money,” the woman said.
The Crown has alleged the woman’s wages were taken to pay off a $43,000 debt owed to those who arranged the journey.
And the court yesterday heard while the alleged victim was initially told she would service no more than three or four men each day there were times when she would see as many as 14 clients.
Daniel Tom, a former staffer with the Australian embassy in Bangkok, conducted immigration records checks on the women after they were arrested in 2008.
He said the first woman applied for a tourist visa in May 2007.
Mr Tom explained immigration authorities generally wanted to be satisfied a prospective tourist had stable employment in their home country and funds to support themselves.
The court heard the woman’s application was backed up by bank statements, travel documents and paperwork related to P&S.
The documents alleged the woman was a shareholder and director of the company.
But the woman overstayed her visa and when the Department of Immigration and Citizenship began investigating, it was revealed she had been removed from the company documents.
It is alleged the operator of P&S, a man referred to as “Koi”, fraudulently added the woman to company registers and helped her to obtain the visa.
Likewise the alleged victim’s three-month visa was approved after officials were satisfied she was a marketing manager with P&S.
But again when investigators started looking into the matter they found she was no longer listed with the company.
The trial before Justice Richard Refshauge continues on Monday.
