Former Conservative Party candidate accused of trafficking and enslaving 'terrified' woman into sex work in Northern Ireland

Police claimed Idrissa Hamidou, 47, exploited the victim who left her native Ivory Coast believing she had been promised employment in a restaurant.

Instead, she was forced into prostitution in a south Belfast apartment to pay off a £12,000 debt, a judge was told.

Hamidou, with an address at Adelaide Street in the city, was remanded into custody on charges of trafficking the woman for sexual exploitation and holding her in slavery on dates between August and December 13 this year.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard police were first alerted to suspicious activity on two bank accounts linked to the defendant.

On Saturday, the 29-year-old woman told police she thought she had been brought from Ivory Coast for employment in a restaurant.

“But when she arrived she was forced to work as a prostitute to pay off her travel costs which she was told were in excess of £12,000,” an investigating detective said.

The woman referred to the person who had allegedly trafficked her as “the boss”. He was said to have controlled the bank accounts and paid her money for food and basic necessities into one of them held in her name.

Hamidou was arrested at the weekend in the Ballymena area, with a number of mobile phones and a bank card confiscated. Police also seized written records for sex work appointments, including dates, times and money exchanged.

During interviews the defendant denied committing any offences, but admitted paying for the woman’s travel to Northern Ireland.

Hamidou also stated that he knew she was a sex worker, arranged her rental apartment on the Ormeau Road, placed the online adverts and controlled the account into which sex buyers paid money, the court heard.

Opposing bail, the detective claimed it was a clear-cut case of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

“The victim was forced to provide sexual services to various men several times per day since she arrived in this jurisdiction,” he said. “She is clearly terrified of this individual, she was shaking and crying when police spoke to her, and stated the defendant told her he has power and influence in her own country.”

Defence counsel Sean O’Hare said his client has lived in Northern Ireland since 2010, with strong ties in the Ballymena area where he is married to a local businesswoman.

The court was told Hamidou re-established contact with the alleged victim after going home to visit relatives.

When she asked about going to live and work in Europe he offered to help her in any way he could, according to his account.

“He thought he was helping her, he didn’t realise she was a sex worker until she arrived here,” Mr O’Hare submitted. “But he does accept that he arranged for her, and made it easy for her to set up one of the websites she was using.”

Describing the alleged banking arrangements as unsophisticated, the barrister added that Hamidou thought he was enabling her to pay back travel costs without making any profit from it.

“This is a man who has made a number of mistakes, acting out of what he thought was a charitable act,” Mr O’Hare added. “He previously worked as an IT consultant… (and) he stood as a councillor for Belfast City Council at the last elections as a member of the Conservative Party.”

Refusing bail, District Judge Steven Keown remanded Hamidou in custody until January 12. He ruled: “The facts of this case, combined with this type of offending create a raft of risks which are unmanageable.