NAIROBI: Kenya’s Shanzu Court has sentenced a Canadian businessman to 30 years imprisonment for his involvement in human trafficking and related crimes in Mombasa County, Kenya’s capitalfm.co.ke, said.

The businessman who holds dual citizenship was arrested following a raid at his business premises in 2019.

“Asif Amirali Alidhai Jetha, a holder of Britain and Canada passports was arrested in April 2019 after a raid by Transnational Organized Crime Unit at his Rangeela bar, Mkomani Nyali where 12 Nepalese women who had been taken hostage at his premise were rescued,” the National Police Service said.

According to the police, the suspect had pleaded not guilty to six counts preferred against him before the matter went to hearing, with the prosecution lining up nineteen witnesses to testify against him, the capitalfm.co.ke, said.

Charges preferred included those of trafficking in persons, interfering with travel documents and engaging in business without a permit, according to the report.

Kenya also reported prosecuting 46 individuals under the 2010 anti-trafficking law between July 2019 and June 2020.

(With inputs from capitalfm.co.ke)