Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

[evanovitch]

Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

Charged with transporting persons to Jamaica

BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter [email protected]

Monday, May 09, 2011


<span style="font-weight: bold">AN Indian national accused of trafficking persons into the country to work in his stores without payment has been slapped with 10 charges.</span>

(<span style="font-style: italic">years ago mi mek dis statement pon yah dat dis a gwane a yaad , having spoken wid dem workers in dem stores in hotels</span>)



Thirty-six-year-old businessman Rajesh Gurunani, who resides in the Kingston 10 area, is charged with five counts of transporting persons to Jamaica for the purpose of exploitation and five counts of withholding passports for the purpose of committing and facilitating the offence of human trafficking.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to return to the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on May 30.

According to police reports, the accused, who owns five stores in the Corporate Area and St Catherine, recruited several workers directly out of India to work in his stores.

Gurunani reportedly controls the workers and does not allow them to have cellular phones or to be involved in relationships.

It is further reported that the workers are transported to and from work and are not allowed to go out as they wish and do not receive wages.

Gurunani was reportedly found in possession of several passports belonging to his employees when he was held during a police operation on March 18, at Maeven Avenue, Kingston 10. The passports were reportedly locked away in a safe in his bedroom.

When the matter was raised in court Friday, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Lisa Palmer Hamilton requested a further mention date to complete the case file.

She said that the prosecution is trying to locate two other witnesses and is awaiting a statement from a financial institution.

However, Gurunani's lawyer Ernest Smith, who said that investigation started in January, complained about the length of time that the prosecution was taking to complete its case.

But the magistrate, while noting the concern of the lawyer, gave the prosecution until the end of the month to have the file completed.

The accused man's bail was extended.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz1LsXs3Bib

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

Jamaica being a pro slavery state will just give him a slap on the wrist
And he will be allowed to transfer All his businesses in some one else name and continue
With the warning This be more careful next time.

[sistactry]

Re: Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jamaica being a pro slavery state will just give him a slap on the wrist
And he will be allowed to transfer All his businesses in some one else name and continue
With the warning This be more careful next time. </div></div>

u know it!!

<span style="font-weight: bold"> Gurunani reportedly controls the workers and does not allow them to have cellular phones or to be involved in relationships. It is further reported that the workers are transported to and from work and are not allowed to go out as they wish and do not receive wages. </span>

dis sad ehh?? dyaammmm

[evanovitch]

wat i want to know is how dem enter the country

wat visa dem was issued...r work permits given...the many questions that come to mind fi mi go on n on n on

[sistactry]

Re: wat i want to know is how dem enter the country

visa, ja no like one time, when money use to mek nuff man look the other way, but it still a gwaan vanny, u nuh tink so, de boss man apply fe dem work permit and tings, de poor workers dem just know fe pack up and leff, and do wha dis man say,

u know conditions in India nuh pretty u kno, nuff a girls, haffe tun Pros fe eat a food!! so i suppose to dem a 6 a one, and half dozen a de odder

[evanovitch]

Re: wat i want to know is how dem enter the country

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SistaCtry</div><div class="ubbcode-body">visa, ja no like one time, when money use to mek nuff man look the other way, but it still a gwaan vanny, u nuh tink so, de boss man apply fe dem work permit and tings, de poor workers dem just know fe pack up and leff, and do wha dis man say,

u know conditions in India nuh pretty u kno, nuff a girls, haffe tun Pros fe eat a food!! so i suppose to dem a 6 a one, and half dozen a de odder </div></div>

India is India...Jamaica is Jamaica and people down deh need work...see dis is wat i fight against...we allowing all an sundry to come an set up bizniz which benefit us in no shape or form...our workers get low pay n bad treatment from these newly arrived investors r dem dont get no job at all...no scrutiny on the ground n none abroad fi all dem service workers we ship out out ...

[sistactry]

Re: wat i want to know is how dem enter the country

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">wat visa dem was issued...r work permits given...the many questions that come to mind fi mi go on n on n on </div></div>

a yr visa question me did a answer~

anyhow....u kno vannie, i hear u on ur point, nuff jcans need work, but why is it, on the other hand, nuff a dem in ja no waan work, and when dem come a farrin, dem wuk 24/7,

u memba freezone, one chiney can do 5smaddy wuk,

[evanovitch]

Re: wat i want to know is how dem enter the country

Jcans WILL work if treated humanely and paid a fair wage...the very example of abroad speaks to that reality...wen people see wat dem working fah it gives dem initiative..in the example of abroad, a living wage....

in Jamaica where there r no laws r where fear of breaking the laws no carry no weight, the employer wi gi one worker enuff work fi at least three...n expect it to be done in one day...employer wi choose not to pay employee cause employer need dat money fi meet fi dem bills as if the employee working fi go dance

let us not fool ourselves that the attitude toward wat we call 'menial' workers in Ja is long entrenched in classist attitudes....

[neutral]

Re: Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SistaCtry</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jamaica being a pro slavery state will just give him a slap on the wrist
And he will be allowed to transfer All his businesses in some one else name and continue
With the warning This be more careful next time. </div></div>

u know it!!

<span style="font-weight: bold"> Gurunani reportedly controls the workers and does not allow them to have cellular phones or to be involved in relationships. It is further reported that the workers are transported to and from work and are not allowed to go out as they wish and do not receive wages. </span>

dis sad ehh?? dyaammmm </div></div>

If they are so stupid to allow one single person to take control of their freedom and their lives in that manner then they deserve what they get,..they are too damn stupid to be let out on their own.
As for indians owning so much business interest in Jamaica,prime example of the jamaican mentality that thinks that anything foreign is far better than their own,.....if I had my way they would kick out all these chapatti mo fo,s back to delhi,the majority of them has no respect for jamaicans anyway,they only see the place as a money bank.

[evanovitch]

Re: Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Natral_browning</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SistaCtry</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jamaica being a pro slavery state will just give him a slap on the wrist
And he will be allowed to transfer All his businesses in some one else name and continue
With the warning This be more careful next time. </div></div>

u know it!!

<span style="font-weight: bold"> Gurunani reportedly controls the workers and does not allow them to have cellular phones or to be involved in relationships. It is further reported that the workers are transported to and from work and are not allowed to go out as they wish and do not receive wages. </span>

dis sad ehh?? dyaammmm </div></div>

If they are so stupid to allow one single person to take control of their freedom and their lives in that manner then they deserve what they get,..they are too damn stupid to be let out on their own.
As for indians owning so much business interest in Jamaica,prime example of the jamaican mentality that thinks that anything foreign is far better than their own,.....if I had my way they would kick out all these chapatti mo fo,s back to delhi,the majority of them has no respect for jamaicans anyway,they only see the place as a money bank. </div></div>

bak in the day domestic workers in Canada had their passport taken and their movements curtailed...is not a matter of stupidity but is a matter of being out of ur comfort zone at teh mercy of a biss who seemingly has the law on his
side... again i wonder how they entered the country

[kia027]

Re: Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

entered via UK or US on a tourist visa?

I for one do my best to avoid those shops because all I see if what money I would spend not staying in JA.

[quodlibet]

Re: Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

...
However, Gurunani's lawyer Ernest Smith, who said that investigation started in January, complained about the length of time that the prosecution was taking to complete its case.
...
</div></div>
I was wondering what happened to the singer!

[RichD]

Re: Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Quodlibet</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Storeowner accused of trafficking workers

...
However, Gurunani's lawyer Ernest Smith, who said that investigation started in January, complained about the length of time that the prosecution was taking to complete its case.
...
</div></div>
I was wondering what happened to the singer! </div></div>

him still deh bout.