Five accused of human trafficking in Glasgow

A woman allegedly brought to Scotland for prostitution told a court she arrived while pregnant and with no possessions.

The 24-year-old, who cannot be named, claimed a man called Riti, travelled with her by bus from Slovakia to Glasgow.

She said she thought she might be sold, and that she was about four and a half, or five months pregnant at the time.

The woman claimed she was taken to a relative’s house in Glasgow where she met a man who said he “wanted her”.

She gave evidence at the trial of Vojtech Gombar, 60, Anil Wagle, 36, and Rastislav Adam, 30, Jana Sandorova, 27, and Sylvia Racov, 42, at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

It’s alleged that all five, from Govanhill, Glasgow, “arranged or facilitated” travel to the UK of three named women, and others between January 2012 and April 2016.

And that it was “with the intention of exerting control over prostitution by said women, and others there or elsewhere”.

They are accused of providing accommodation and facilitating travel within the city “for the purposes of the provision of sexual services”.

All five also face a second charge under the Asylum and Immigration Act that they facilitated the travel of people to the UK “with intent to exploit”.

The woman claimed she was told Riti was going to take her to Glasgow and she thought she would get work.

In evidence she said: “I was not happy that I’m going there but I was also happy when they said it’s going to be good for me, I was both happy and not happy.”

She was asked why that was and replied: “I didn’t think I was going to be happy there and I thought they might sell me.”

The woman said Riti travelled on a bus with her from Slovakia to another city, where they changed busses and met another man.

Procurator fiscal depute Niall MacDonald asked: “What if any possessions or luggage did you take?”

The witness replied: “I didn’t have anything, no clothes or anything. Just food in the bag.”

The jury heard all three of them got a bus to Glasgow.

Mr MacDonald asked “What happened when the bus stopped in Glasgow?”

The witness said they went to her relative’s house in Allison Street.

She said when they got to the house another man, she didn’t know, was there.

She told the court: “He was speaking with me, he said they brought me to him, that he wanted me.”

Mr MacDonald asked her what she thought was meant by that and she said: “For work. He wanted me maybe to live with him.”

The five accused deny the charges and the trial before sheriff John McCormick continues.