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►"Human trafficking" trial collapses after "victim" hugs and kisses supposed trafficker

 

A fishing skipper exonerated of human trafficking allegations has slammed the prosecution service for pursuing the "farce" case.

 

On Thursday, a trial against Alex Murdo Murray was abandoned.

 

He denied illegally trafficking Ghanaian nationals into Scotland and exploiting them.

 

All charges against the 49-year-old of Point, Lewis, were dropped after just two main days of evidence.

 

Mr Murray is demanding an independent in-depth investigation into why the case went so far.

 

He stressed: “This prosecution was a farce from start to finish.

 

“I will pursue all legal steps open to me so as to rectify the damage that this prosecution has caused.”

 

He added: “It is quite clear from what we heard over the last few days there was never any evidence of human trafficking.

 

“That is something which should have been identified by the police and the crown at a very early stage.

 

“I need to know why that didn’t happen.”

 

Mr Murray said the prosecution caused a “huge amount of suffering and distress” to himself, his wife and his family.

 

A Crown Office spokesperson said: “Independent Crown Counsel considered the full facts and circumstances of the case, and decided that there was sufficient evidence in law to indict the accused for human trafficking.


“It is the duty of the Crown to keep cases under review. Once the trial was underway, further consideration was given to the terms of the witness testimony and the availability of witnesses to attend the trial, and it was decided it was no longer in the public interest to continue proceedings.

 

“The Crown takes allegations of human trafficking very seriously, and will prosecute wherever there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so.”

 

 

Fishing skipper demands probe over "illegal human trafficking" prosecution

15 October 2015