Four members of the United Kingdom’s richest family are on trial in Switzerland following allegations they spent more money caring for their dog’s care than on their servants.
The Hinduja family, worth an estimated £37bn is accused of exploitation and human trafficking.
The family owns a villa in Geneva’s affluent Cologny neighbourhood, and the charges against them pertain to their practice of bringing in servants from India to care for their children and household.
It is alleged that Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, along with their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, confiscated the passports of their staff whilst paying them as little as $8 for 18-hour days, and allowed them little freedom to leave the house.
Although a financial settlement for exploitation charges was reached last week, the Hindujas remain on trial for trafficking, which is a serious crime in Switzerland. They deny the charges.
Arguing in court, renowned Geneva prosecutor Yves Bertossa highlighted the nearly $10,000 a year the family reportedly spent on their dog, comparing it to the daily wages they allegedly paid their servants.
However, some former servants testified for the Hindujas, describing them as a family who treated their servants with dignity.
Meanwhile, the accusations that servants’ passports were confiscated and that they were not allowed to leave the house without permission are serious, as they could be considered human trafficking.
It is not the first time that Geneva is in the spotlight over the alleged mistreatment of servants.
In 2008, Muammar Gaddafi’s son was arrested in his Geneva hotel by police acting on information that he and his wife had been beating their servants. The case was later dropped. it caused a huge diplomatic row between both countries with two Swiss citizens arrested in Tripoli as a retaliatory measure.