Charges in human trafficking may be resolved

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on December 7, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

One of several men charged more than a year ago in relation to a human trafficking case may resolve his charges without a trial.

Mohammad Zafari was scheduled to stand trial in Lethbridge next March on several sex-related charges, but during a brief hearing Tuesday in provincial court, the matter was waived to Calgary for resolution on March 1. Although the manner of resolution was not explained during Tuesday’s hearing, it could involve either guilty pleas and sentencing, a stay of proceeding, or a withdrawal of the charges.

Calgary lawyer Kaysi Fagan was set to argue Tuesday that Zafari’s right to trial in a reasonable amount of time will have been violated before the matter goes to trial. The acceptable delay in provincial court is 18 months between the time charges are laid and trial, and 30 months in superior court. The 18-month ceiling would have expired by March.

Zafari is one of eight men and two youth who were charged in August 2021 with numerous sex-related offences.

Police said several men selected and groomed a 15-year-old girl and took her to specific locations where sex offences took place. The same individuals had also engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl, and additional victims came forward later in connection with the investigation.

The charges against all the accused include sexual interference, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault, and all but two of the accused face charges of trafficking persons under the age of 18. They were all released on bail shortly after they were arrested, and one of the youths pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sexual assault against two girls, and was given a two-year deferred custody and supervision order, to be served in the community.The second youth pleaded guilty in October to one count of sexual assault and was sentenced to six months of deferred custody and supervision, followed by probation.

The matter for one of the adult accused, Ziyaad Noor, was also in court Tuesday. Noor was scheduled to stand trial next January in provincial court, but during Tuesday’s hearing he re-elected to be tried by Court of King’s Bench judge and jury with a preliminary hearing. The trial, which was set to run Jan. 11-13, was vacated and the preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 11.

Noor had been charged with seven sex-related offences, including trafficking in persons, but Crown Prosecutor Joe Mercier told court he will only proceed on three charges; sexual contact with a child, sexual interference and sexual assault of a person under the age of 16. 

Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter