The Johannesburg Regional Court heard on Tuesday that Andrew Lionel Phillips, owner of the Sandton club The Ranch was ”turned on” by prostitutes working at the venue.
According to witness Ovidio Muresan, a prostitute named Anna, whom he thought of as his own girlfriend, was the most beautiful girl working at The Ranch, and she brought in the most money.
Muresan is giving evidence in the trial of Phillips on charges relating to keeping a brothel, living off the proceeds of prostitution and procuring women to work as prostitutes.
The witness said Anna also visited Phillips when he was in the Morningside Clinic after an operation.
Muresan, deported from South Africa after a conviction for living off the proceeds of prostitution in a separate case, was brought back to the country a few weeks ago and will remain until his cross-examination in the trial is completed.
The state claims that Muresan was one of the international agents who brought in women from eastern Europe for exploitation — women who did not have the necessary documentation to work in South Africa — namely at The Ranch as prostitutes.
Accused by advocate Mike Hellens SC, defending Phillips, of not previously mentioning that Phillips had paid the air tickets for the last six women brought to South Africa, Muresan informed the court that Scorpions special investigator George Hardaker had travelled to Bulgaria to obtain his statement.
People were falling over each other for an opportunity to work at The Ranch, said Hellens, claiming Phillips was unaware that Muresan had acted as an agent for any of the women.
When the trial commenced last week, it was claimed that Phillips, who has pleaded innocent to all the charges, was being victimised.
Claiming that agents were definitely needed to obtain foreign women to work as prostitutes, Muresan said: ”South Africa is a country everyone is afraid to come to” and the idea of ”making a lot of money” by ”having sex with men” in South Africa had to be ”sold” to the illegals being brought in.
Muresan also claimed that he had problems getting his money of R1 000 per woman per week, because of all the levies and fines — a levy for arriving late and fine of R200 for an unfinished plate of food or drink.
Hellens said Muresan’s claims were nonsense and Phillips strongly disputed there were fines for not finishing food and drinks.
Phillips, through his advocate’s cross examination, also denied that a ”girl” was fined for ”refusing to go with a customer”.
Muresan insisted that there were ”plenty fines” and that the women also had to pay off their airline tickets, a claim Phillips has denied.
According to Hellens, Phillips also denied that the arrangement of R1 000 weekly was between him and Muresan, claiming it was between the prostitutes and Muresan.
”They knew what they were coming to do — sex for money,” Muresan told the court — admitting that to ”keep control” he had threatened the women, but denied they were exploited after arriving in the country or that they were unaware that they were destined for the sex trade.
Muresan said he never hurt any of them, but that there was an incident when a boyfriend (of one of the women) pointed a gun at him.
”Some of the passports I kept,” admitted Muresan, ”to ensure they were not running away” and said they could get the passports when their debts were paid.
According to the defence, High Court documents by the State claimed Muresan — who trafficked in women for about five years — was that Muresan ”tricked the women” telling them they would work as bar maids or waitresses.
Once in South Africa their passports were ”confiscated” until they had paid for their air tickets.
Not true, said Muresan, the illegal aliens were not exploited — they knew they were coming to South Africa as sex workers.
At the conclusion of Muresan’s evidence, the court will hear a ”trial within a trial” to decide whether to admit as evidence ”answering affidavits” made by Phillips after his assets were seized.
Prosecutor, Advocate Joe Davidowitz, claimed the statements are admissible, while Phillips legal team is contesting admissibility. The trial continues on Wednesday. – Sapa