CALGARY -- A husband and wife from Calgary face charges following an RCMP investigation into poor working conditions and compensation for temporary foreign workers.

According to RCMP, the couple, who own a cleaning business, recruited a man and a woman from the Philippines to work for their company through Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker program. Once the workers arrived, the owners allegedly exploited them for personal financial gain.

The victims filed a complaint with the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking Alberta (ACT) in 2019 with allegations of poor working conditions and compensation.

Following an RCMP investigation that lasted roughly 18 months, charges were laid against 50-year-old Amelita Layco and 49-year-old Macario Layco on April 1.

Amelita Layco faces charges of:

  • Trafficking in persons (two counts);
  • Material benefit from trafficking (two counts); and
  • Fraud

Macario Layco has been charged with two counts of material benefit from trafficking.

The accused are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.