Massage parlour staff retract statements in Victoria's Secret case

BANGKOK, Sept 19 (TNA) – Two men, accused of involving in human trafficking in the Victoria’s Secret massage parlour case retracted their statements, requesting to fight the case in the court. Brought from the Bangkok Remand Prison for the criminal court hearing on Wednesday, Manat Uamthap and Somchai Saeng-udom testified that they did not realize underage girls had been procured to work at the massage parlour. The duo earlier confessed to being staff to give advice to customers about the women working there. The criminal allowed them to prove their innocence by calling witnesses to testify in the next appointment on Oct 8. Ten suspects had been arrested after the raid on the venue in Huai Khwang area in Bangkok on Jan 12. About 80 women including underage girls from neibouring countries had worked there as prostitutes. The Criminal Court last month handed down jail sentences Monday to six people involved in the prostitution of underage girls in the Victoria's Secret massage parlour case, but dismissed human trafficking charges against them. The court last month handed down Boonsap Amornrattanasiri, and Satthatham Chaengchai, the manager of Victoria's Secret Massage combined jail terms of 19 years and 4 months each for procuring underage girls as prostitutes. The court also sentenced Sasithorn Weerathepsuporn who applied for the parlour's operating licence to eight years two months in jail. The court dismissed human trafficking-related charges against all the suspects. (TNA)