A Chinese man acquitted of all charges connecting him to a multi-pound sex slave ring has told of his “nightmare”.
The case against Mr Fai Chan from Belfast was dropped this week after the prosecution offered no evidence against him.
Mr Chan, who had always denied charges of assisting the control of prostitutes for gain between January 2008 and May 2009, was originally charged with four co-accused.
Mr Chan described the last three years as a “total nightmare”.
“I had absolutely no knowledge about any of this and I can never express the damage this has done to me.”
“I am desperate to get on with my life and I am so grateful to my family who have supported me throughout. It has been a total nightmare and I hope I can rebuild my life.”
Chan’s solicitor Michael Madden of Belfast legal firm Madden & Finucane said his client’s “trusting” nature was exploited.
Fai Chan’s acquittal came after three of his co-accused pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Ex-cop Simon Dempsey, of Newtownards, pleaded guilty to two similar charges and to entering into an arrangement with another accused, Rong Chen to control criminal property by lodging monies on her behalf.
Last Monday Chen, with an address in Kidderminster, England, pleaded guilty to controlling the activities of prostitutes for gain, trafficking people within the UK, and to entering into an arrangement with Dempsey.
She had faced six other charges arising out of the prostitution ring but the court did not proceed with them.
A fourth accused Jason Owen Hinton, with the same Kidderminister address as Chen, also pleaded guilty to charges of aiding and abetting.
Like Chen and Dempsey, he has been released on continuing bail.
The charges arise out of PSNI-led, UK-wide investigation into a Chinese prostitute ring, which resulted in co-ordinated raids in May 2009 on properties in both Derry and Belfast.
