KOTA KINABALU: A woman was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ jail by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to trafficking a 13-year-old from the Philippines for sexual exploitation.

Mak Gonda Rahman (pic), 61, was charged with the offence which carries a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine.

Gonda was arrested after police raided a hotel room in the city’s infamous red light Kampung Air on Sept 27 following a tip-off.

DPP Monica Linsua prosecuted the case before Sessions judge Caroline Bee Majanil.

Gonda, who was not represented, had told police during her arrest that the girl was her daughter, but investigations later proved otherwise.

The girl was working as a dishwasher for the accused in Tawau before the latter brought her here to work as a prostitute.

Investigations revealed that the woman had asked the girl to charge between RM80 and RM150 per customer for sexual services.

Linsua said the girl had agreed to the arrangements as she was afraid of Gonda and wished to return to Tawau to meet her grandparents some day.

Gonda, who has six children, pleaded for leniency, saying that she was remorseful and promised not to repeat the offence.

She added that she was old and suffering from asthma and gout.

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