₦airaland Forum

Four members of the UK's richest family have received prison sentences for exploiting staff brought over from India to work at their Geneva villa.

Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, as well as their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were found guilty of exploitation and illegal employment by a Swiss court and handed sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years.

They were acquitted on the more serious charge of human trafficking.

Lawyers representing the defendants said they intend to appeal against the ruling.

Speaking outside the court, Robert Assael, the lawyer for the defendants, said: "I'm shocked. We're going to fight it to the bitter end."

Three workers who were brought over from their native India alleged the family paid them as little as £7 ( $8 ) to work 18-hour days - less than a tenth of the amount required under Swiss law - and confiscated their passports.

They also claimed the family - whose fortune is estimated at around £37bn - rarely allowed them to leave the house, which is in Geneva’s wealthy neighbourhood of Cologny.

During the trial, prosecutors alleged the family spent more on their dog than on their servants.

The defence argued that the employees received ample benefits, were not kept in isolation and were free to leave the villa.

The employees "were grateful to the Hindujas for offering them a better life", Mr Assael argued.

The elder Hindujas, both over 70, did not attend court proceedings, pleading ill health. Ajay and Namrata did attend court but were not there to hear the verdict.

Following the verdict, the prosecution requested an immediate detention order for the younger Hinduja couple, but this was denied by the judge.

The defence said Kamal Hindula is currently in hospital in Monaco - and the other three family members are at his bedside.

It is not the first time that Geneva, a hub for international organisations as well as the world’s wealthy, has been in the spotlight over the alleged mistreatment of servants.

Last year, four domestic workers from the Philippines launched a case against one of Geneva’s diplomatic missions to the United Nations, claiming they had not been paid for years.

The Hinduja family own the Hinduja Group, a multinational group with interests in oil, gas, and banking.

The family also owns Raffles hotel in London.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggl6pe52eo

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/3f8c/live/288767b0-2fea-11ef-a044-9d4367d5b599.jpg

How Indians left their continent to conquer UK is what I still don't understand. Read they own more properties in UK than English people.

Nigerians when they realize someone is being prosecuted by a govt somewhere for paying his staff above the contested Nigerian minimum wage.

A country were civil rights is adhere and respected

When you work for Indians they don't pay you, they pay your family, which is a very poor family in India.

Most of them are generational slaves so they don't have a say.

If you mess up, you are returned and in the next 10 to 20 years no one will take a house help from your family because you or the person that went out messed up.

Be careful with these indians.

olisaEze:
Nigerians when they realize someone is being prosecuted by a govt somewhere for paying his staff above the contested Nigerian minimum wage.

I've always said this, if we keep having people with the tendency to drift off topic like you on NL, then the forum is far beyond Quota and Reddit and may never get there


It's a UK thread for godsake

How did this even relate at all

Came to read more enlightening comments about this issue, only for me to see some silly. Comparison again

Zonefree:
How Indians left their continent to conquer UK is what I don't understand. Heard they own more properties in UK than English people.

They look out for opportunities and bring in their people.
But Africans don't do that.

Indian, Chinese and Lebanese boss are the same everywhere.


E pain me say none of those male servant give am better punch for him red face, nonsense

COMRADES, UK is a country where the law is in full force
If you do anyhow, you see anyhow...according to Ikweremadu

DevilsEqual:
I've always said this, if we keep having people with the tendency to drift off topic like you on NL, then the forum is far beyond Quota and Reddit and may never get there


It's a UK thread for godsake

How did this even relate at all

Came to read more enlightening comments about this issue, only for me to see some silly. Comparison again

A UK thread in the politics section of a Nigerian forum talking about an Indian family living in Switzerland, but expects comments from any except those that the forum were actually meant for, has got to be the highest display of ludicrous inferiority complex I have ever seen on NL! If the irony is still lost on you, pls pick up a travel book or head to Reddit. It is the highest form of stupidity expecting everyone else to be Oyinbo worshippers like you because you hate your reality! What an @rseswipe!!

OneCandleAway:
They look out for opportunities and bring in their people.
But Africans don't do that.

And when Africans do that, the people they bring in turn their backs against them and make the benefactors regret ever bringing them in.

We are our own problem and it's mutual.

Zonefree:
How Indians left their continent to conquer UK is what I don't understand. Heard they own more properties in UK than English people.

British colonized them and left, they (Indians) left India to colonized their former masters. 😂😂😂

Even the current prime Minister of UK is from India.