The Hinduja family, originally from India, brought domestic staff from that country and, according to the accusation, confiscated their passports upon arriving in Switzerland and paid them a salary “80% to 90% lower” than what they would receive in Switzerland, explains the failed.
A Swiss court condemned this Friday to four members of Britain’s richest family for exploiting Indian staff at his Geneva mansion.
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The Hindujaabsent from the hearing, were acquitted of the charge of human trafficking but convicted of other charges, in a shocking verdict for the family with a fortune estimated by the Sunday Times at £37 billion ($47 billion).
Prakash Hinduja78 years old, and his wife Kamal, 75, were sentenced to four years and six months in prison. Your son Ajay56 years old, and his wife, Namrata50, were sentenced to four years, announced the president of the Geneva court, Sabina Mascotto.
The family, originally from India, brought domestic staff from that country and, according to the accusation, confiscated their passports upon arriving in Switzerland and paid them a salary “80% to 90% lower” than what they would receive in Switzerland, the ruling explains. .
Hinduja mansion.jpeg
One of the residences of the Hinduja family.
Geneva prosecutor Yves Bertossa accused the family of having spent “more money on the dog than on the domestic employees.”
Bertossa requested the immediate arrest of Ajay and Namrata, alleging a flight risk, but the president of the court denied the request, considering that all the accused, of Swiss nationality, have deep ties with the Alpine country.
The defense indicated that it would appeal the sentence and attributed the accusations to the mere desire of the Prosecutor’s Office to “take down the Hindujas.” According to the defense, the three complainants did not live in isolation and none “was deceived regarding their salary.”
The president of the court dismissed the human trafficking charge, arguing that some employees returned to Geneva after traveling to India.
But the family “took advantage of the inexperience of the employees, who had little or no education and were ignorant of their rights,” he said.
The Hinduja Group has assets in 38 countries in the oil and gas, banking and healthcare sectors, with a total workforce of 200,000 employees.
