A Swiss court convicted the UK’s richest family of exploiting their domestic staff
A Swiss court on Friday found members of Britain’s wealthiest family guilty of exploiting housekeepers at a luxury Geneva villa, but acquitted them of more serious human trafficking charges. .
Prosecutors have charged four family members – Prakash Hinduja; his wife, Kamal Hinduja; their son Ajay Hinduja; and their daughter-in-law Namrata Hinduja – on charges of trafficking and exploiting a number of workers from India.
They were accused of confiscating employees’ passports and forcing them to work 16 hours a day or more without overtime pay in the villa. Lawyers representing the Hindujas have denied the allegations.
According to news agencies, the court on Friday sentenced Prakash and Kamal Hinduja to four years and six months in prison, and Ajay and Namrata Hinduja to four years in prison. It also requires them to pay about $950,000 in compensation, as well as about $300,000 in processing fees. Najib Ziazi, the family’s business advisor, who also faced charges, was found complicit in the exploitation.
In an emailed statement by Romain Jordan, the lawyer representing the Hindujas family, family members said they were “disappointed” by the decision and have filed an appeal with a higher court . “The family has full confidence in the judicial process and remains determined to defend itself,” the statement added.
The Hinduja family leads a multinational conglomerate with major holdings in auto manufacturing, banking, oil and gas, real estate and healthcare. Sunday Times of London recently estimated the family’s net worth at 37 billion pounds, or $47 billion, and listed the Hindujas as British Hindus. richest family.
According to Swiss media, arguments in the closely watched trial began on June 10, with the lead prosecutor, Yves Bertossa, claiming that the family had spent more money on a pet compared to the salary of a housekeeper.
According to the indictment, some housekeepers, taking care of children or doing housework, were paid only 10,000 rupees a month (about $120 today). Many workers are poor in India and toil “from morning till night” without being paid overtime. Their wages – far below Geneva’s minimum wage for domestic workers – were paid into an Indian bank account they could not easily access, the indictment said.
Prosecutors allege that the Hinduja family confiscated the domestic servants’ passports and ordered them not to leave the villa, where they slept on bunk beds in a windowless basement room. . The workers were required to be present at all times, including on trips to France and Monaco, where they toiled under similar conditions, the indictment said.
Mr. Jordan, the lawyer for the Hinduja family, denied what he called “exaggerated and biased allegations.”
“Members of the Hinduja family strongly deny these allegations,” he said in a statement before the verdict.
A civil case involving the lead plaintiffs, who worked for the family, was resolved last week, according to Swiss News. Mr. Jordan declined to discuss the terms but said the agreement was “confidential” and the plaintiffs withdrew their complaint.
In the criminal case, prosecutors had asked for a prison sentence of up to five and a half years, along with millions of francs in fines and compensation. according to Swiss media.
The three Hinduja brothers lead the family group, with two based in the UK and across Europe. The family owns several properties in London, including a 25-bedroom mansion and Five-star Raffles Hotel in a historic former government building, the Old War Office.
The most senior brother, Srichand P. Hinduja, is also the chairman of the Hinduja Group, passed away last May at the age of 87. Before his death, the family factions had joined one the battle lasted in controlling family assets.
