Swiss Court sentences Hinduja family members for exploiting staff in Swiss mansion

A Swiss court handed jail sentences to four members of Britain’s richest family, the Hindujas, calling them “selfish” for exploiting Indian staff at their Geneva mansion.

The Hindujas were acquitted of human trafficking but convicted on other charges, The family’s fortune is estimated at 37 billion pounds ($47 billion), according to The Sunday Times of London.

Prakash Hinduja, 78, and his wife, Kamal Hinduja, 75, each got four years, six months, while their son, Ajay, 56, and his wife, Namrata, 50, received four-year terms, according to the verdict given by the presiding judge in Geneva.

Lawyers representing the members of the Swiss-Indian family — who were not present in court — said they would appeal the verdict.

A statement from the defense lawyers announcing the appeal said they were “appalled and [full of] disappointment” at the court’s ruling. But it added: “The family has full faith in the judicial process and remains confident that the truth will prevail.”

They were convicted of “usury” for having taken advantage of their vulnerable immigrant staff to pay them a pittance. “The employees’ inexperience was exploited,” Judge Sabina Mascotto said in her judgment. “They had little education or none at all and had no knowledge of their rights. The defendants’ motives were selfish,” she said, adding that the Hindujas were motivated “by the desire for gain.”

During the trial, the Hindujas were accused of bringing servants from their native India and confiscating their passports once they got to Switzerland. Prosecutor Yves Bertossa accused the Hindujas of spending “more on their dog than on their domestic employees.” The family paid the household staff about 325 francs ($363) a month, up to 90 percent less than the going rate, the judge said.

“The four Hinduja defendants knew the weak position their employees were in and knew the law in Switzerland,” Mascotto said. Denying the allegations, the family claimed the prosecutors wanted to “do in the Hindujas.” They had reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with the three employees who made the accusations against them, leading them to drop their legal action, said the defense. Despite this, the prosecution decided to pursue the case because of the seriousness of the charges.

Namrata Hinduja’s lawyer, Romain Jordan, had also pleaded for acquittal, claiming the prosecutors were aiming to make an example of the family. He argued the prosecution had failed to mention extra payments made to staff on top of their cash salaries. “No employee was cheated out of his or her salary,” Assael added.

With interests in oil and gas, banking and health care, the Hinduja Group is present in 38 countries and employs around 200,000 people.

About Author

SSZee Media

Provider of Quality Entertainment News and Information

See author's posts