Two defendants in the third criminal case being tried at the Criminal Court in connection with the raid of Victoria Secret massage parlour in January yesterday retracted their confessions to human trafficking and other charges pressed against them.
Manas Aumthap, 48, and Somchai Saeng-udom, 52, retracted confessions of luring eight Myanmar girls and one Thai girl aged between 15 and 18 into prostitution at the massage parlour when they testified in person yesterday.
According to allegations filed by the public prosecutor, their roles at the raided brothel included introducing prostitutes to customers and encouraging them to buy sex services.
Both defendants had asked to postpone their testimonies on July 25, saying they intended to submit their written statements later, in which they would confess to the charges.
However, the pair, who were taken to testify in court yesterday from Bangkok Remand Prison, asked to testify in person instead and retracted their confessions made during the police investigation.
They claimed they weren't aware that the sex workers were under 18 years of age.
The court decided to defer the trial to Oct 8.
Since the crackdown on the massage parlour, the lower court has ruled on two cases brought against a group of suspects in connection with alleged human trafficking and the illegal sex trade at the brothel.
On Aug 27, four out of five people indicted for human trafficking and their roles in the Amarin Onsen Partnership that ran Victoria Secret, were given jail sentences of between eight months and six years.
Boonsap Amonrattanasiri, 55, Satthatham Chaengchai, 67, Sasithon Wirathepsuporn and Decha Singsakhondecha were sentenced on charges associated with setting up and running Amarin Onsen Partnership, but were acquitted on human trafficking charges due to insufficient evidence.
Chaliaw Chanphim was acquitted of all charges.
Also on Aug 27, Satthatham, Boonsap, Chainarong Aunsuk, 54, Eknaphat Charuwatprathomkul, 29 and Sasithon were handed sentences between seven years and six months and 16 years for procuring prostitutes; but all were acquitted of human trafficking charges.
Satthatham and Boonsap were sentenced to jail for 19 years and four months in total, while Sasithon was sentenced to eight years and two months in jail.
All were denied bail as they appeal against the rulings in their cases.
