GHANA CONVICTS HUMAN TRAFFICKERS

UNCLAS ACCRA 000692 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP PHUM XA XY GH SUBJECT: GHANA CONVICTS HUMAN TRAFFICKERS ¶1. (U) On June 22, the Fast Track High Court in Accra sentenced three Chinese nationals to imprisonment with hard labor for trafficking eight Chinese women to Ghana for prostitution. The court found James Xu Jin guilty of recruiting, transporting, and harboring the women who were forced to engage in prostitution. He was sentenced to a total of 17 years imprisonment, 15 years on the charge of human trafficking and two years for conspiracy. His wife was sentenced to a total of 12 years on the same charges, 10 years for human trafficking and two years for conspiracy. His brother received a similar 12 year sentence, 10 years for abetment and two years for conspiracy. The sentences are to run consecutively. ¶2. (U) The court also ordered James's assets to be confiscated and ordered over $14,000 found in his house at the time of his arrest to be paid into the Human Trafficking Fund and part to be used to pay the amounts he owes his victims. James's resident permit has been revoked, and he will be deported after serving his prison term. ¶3. (U) According to Deputy Superintendent of Ghana Police Patience Quaye, the victims were returned to their home town in China on July 1. ¶4. (U) COMMENT: With this widely publicized conviction, the GOG has taken a visible step towards eliminating trafficking in persons. After having been downgraded to Tier II Watch List in the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report primarily for the lack of trafficking convictions, the arrest and conviction of these traffickers was a notable success on the part of the Ghana police and GOG ministries. TEITELBAUM