Ten years in prison for Chinese woman guilty of human trafficking | Tonga News | Taimi Media Network

Ten years in prison for Chinese woman guilty of human trafficking | Tonga News | Taimi Media NetworkLIRONG Liu the Chinese Woman found guilty on several charges relating to human trafficking was sentenced this morning to ten years in prison.

Justice Shuster convicted Lirong on all seven counts, including four for trafficking persons into Tonga, one for keeping a brothel and two for trading in prostitution.

In Sentencing Lirong this afternoon Justice Shuster said, “it is a heinous offence to trafficked a person for prostitution.”

“Human Trafficking is degrading activity and brings misery to other’s.”

He went on to say that all evidence reveals that the victims didn’t come here (Tonga) for prostitution, but to work and there was a point in time when one of them payed the accused to get their passport back.

“All passport belong to government and you have no right to keep them, but the reason you kept the passport so they have difficulty going to the Police and complaints.”

The initial sentence that Justice Shuster handed out was a ten years in prison term for the four counts of trafficking persons in to Tonga, six months for keeping a brothel and five years for trading in prostitution.

All sentence are concurrent making it a total of ten years, “and I decline to suspend any part of the sentence.”

Lirong Liu is a 44-year-old Chinese National who came to Tonga in 2001 on a work permit where she operated a bar and a restaurant business.

Defence Counsel Laki Niu represented her in court and Prosecutor for the Crown was Sione Sisifā.

-By Telesia Adams