GENEVA: Four members of the United Kingdon’s (UK) richest family have received jail sentences following being found guilty of exploiting vulnerable domestic workers at their Geneva villa. Indian-born Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal and their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were found guilty of exploitation and unlawful employment by a Swiss court. The four people were given sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years but were acquitted on the more serious allegation of human trafficking.
The court ruled the servants, who were mostly uneducated Indians and worked at their lakeside villa in Geneva, knew what they were getting into. Lawyers representing the defendants announced they intend to appeal against the ruling. Robert Assael, the lawyer for the defendants, stated that he is shocked and are going to fight it to the unpleasant end. Th workers alleged the family had paid them just £7 to work 18-hour days, less than a tenth of what law in the Swaziland needs.
Prosecutors stated a “climate of fear” was brought by Kamal Hinduja with the four defendants also being alleged of confiscating workers’ passports and preventing them from leaving the home in the wealthy neighbourhood of Cologny. The prosecutors said that the employees sometimes worked for even longer for receptions and slept in the basement of the house, sometimes on the floor.
Swiss officials have already seized Jewellery and other assets from the rich family in anticipation they could be used to pay for lawful fees and possible penalties.
Prosecutors alleged the senseless family, whose fortune is estimated at about £37bn, spent more on their pet than on their servants.
Despite not being present for the judgement, Ajay and Namrata Hinduja had attended court but Prakash and Kamal, did not attend the court proceedings, pleading ill health. The Hinduja family topped the 2024 Sunday Times rich list with a combined wealth of around £37.196bn. The family own Hinduja Group, a multinational group with interests in gas, oil, and banking, as well as Raffles hotel in London, UK.
