Lagos — Olaitan Ilori (38), a Nigerian with an address at Oak Drive, Blessington, Co Wicklow,has pleaded not guilty to the charge of human trafficking at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.It is alleged that he organised or facilitated the entry on October 27, 2004, of 14 Mauritian nationals, including two children, who were illegal immigrants.

The offence is alleged to have occurred between March 1 and October 27, 2004.The prosecution told the jury that it would be the State's case that Ilori travelled to Mauritius prior to October 27, 2004.

Alex Owens SC told the court Ilori met the 12 adults and two children on October 22 and 25, where he represented himself as a lawyer and an Irish immigration expert.He said he would travel with the group to Ireland and advised them to tell immigration officers in Dublin Airport they were tourists on "a fact-finding mission".Ilori allegedly also told the travellers they could tell the Irish immigration officers that if they were offered work here in Ireland they would then seek a work permit.

He also allegedly promised to intervene if there was any question of them being deported.Mr Owens said the State intended to prove that Ilori did all this "knowing that these men, women and children were illegal immigrants".He told the jury that an illegal immigrant was defined in legislation as a non-national who sought to enter, entered or had already entered the State illegally.He said this group of Mauritian nationals arrived in Dublin Airport from Paris on October 27, 2004, and on presenting themselves to immigration control, claimed they were tourists.

They had documentation from an organisation in Mauritius called MDI Training Academy which stated that they were on a fact-finding mission to Ireland in relation "to IT and commerce".They also had proof of a reservation for a Dublin city centre hostel.

Mission Owens told the jury that the Director of Public Prosecutions would prove that the Mauritians were, in fact, looking to find work in Ireland and as they had no work permits issued by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, they had not been given permission to travel to Ireland in this capacity.

The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury of seven men and five women.