Hong Kong man convicted of human trafficking in Vancouver
A Hong Kong man who brought his Filipino maid with his family when they moved to Vancouver has been convicted of human trafficking in a landmark verdict. A jury in the British Columbia Supreme Court also found Franco Orr Yiu-kwan, 50, guilty of illegally employing a foreign national, as well as immigration breaches. His partner, Nicole Huen Oi-ling, was acquitted of human trafficking and the lesser charges.
CBCNews video
A Hong Kong man who brought his Filipino maid with his family when they moved to Vancouver has been convicted of human trafficking in a landmark verdict.
A jury in the British Columbia Supreme Court also found Franco Orr Yiu-kwan, 50, guilty of illegally employing a foreign national, as well as immigration breaches. His partner, Nicole Huen Oi-ling, was acquitted of human trafficking and the lesser charges.
Defence lawyer Nicholas Preovolos told the Canadian Press news agency after the Wednesday night verdict that his clients were “in shock, frankly they’re stunned”. Orr’s trafficking conviction could carry a life sentence, although Preovolos said he would argue for a non-custodial conditional sentence.
This is the first human trafficking conviction in British Columbia, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Preovolos, who told the Canadian Press that an appeal was likely, could not be reached for further comment.
The maid, Leticia Sarmiento, 40, moved to Canada with Orr and Huen and their three young children in September, 2008. She said that although she had enjoyed a good working relationship with the couple when she worked for them in Hong Kong, things changed in Vancouver. She said the couple “tricked” her into applying for a Canadian visa, by promising her superior working conditions and that she would eventually be able to apply for Canadian residency.