PORT-OF-SPAIN (CMC):

More than 70 women from the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Venezuela are due to reappear in court during the months of March to June this year after pleading not guilty to prostitution-related charges.

Magistrate Margaret Alert, who took two and a half hours to deal with the cases in San Fernando, south of Port-of-Spain on Monday, informed 10 of the women for whom bail was denied that they could apply to a judge in chambers.

SOLICITING CLIENTS

The 75 women, ages ranging from 18 to 41 years, were arrested over the weekend after the court was told they were soliciting people near a hotel in Vistabella, south of Port-of-Spain, for the purpose of prostitution.

Police prosecutor Veano Ragoo objected to bail being granted to 10 of the women on the grounds that they were in Trinidad illegally, even though two of them claimed they were married to locals. They will return to court on March 21.

The other women were released on TT$10,000 bail (one TT dollar = US$0.16 cents) and ordered to reappear in court on April 8 and June 12 and 24.

Three men who were charged with managing a brothel were ordered to return to court on April 23.