[WATCH] No bail for company directors accused of human trafficking

A father and his two children were accused of human trafficking and denied bail

Two company directors and a manager of a company which was flagged for employing trafficked workers were accused of human trafficking and subsequently denied bail.

The accused – Sarah Formosa, 31, Peter Formosa, 63, and Matthew Peter Formosa, 34, of JF Group – pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defence lawyer Edward Gatt argued that the case was not one of human trafficking, and that the three should be granted bail as one of the accused, Peter Formosa, is suffering from leukemia.

The prosecution said it would not object to Formosa being taken to hospital. But Inspector John Spiteri, who prosecuted, said that a number of witnesses, who were also employees of the company, were yet to testify.

For this reason, bail could not be granted, since witnesses could come in contact with the accused, Magistrate Yana Stafrace said.

Inspectors John Spiteri and Joseph Busuttil prosecuted.

Lawyers Edward Gatt, Matthew Paris, and Ishmael Psaila were defence counsel.

Earlier last year, JF Group was accused of underpaying some of its employees thousands of euros a year. The company employs some 1,700 people in security, healthcare, logistics and corporate jobs.