Exploiting Housemaids, British Billionaire Sentenced to Prison in Switzerland

LONDON – Court Swiss sentenced four members of Britain’s richest family to prison for exploiting Indian domestic servants in their Geneva home.

The Hinduja couple – who did not appear in court – were acquitted of human trafficking charges, but convicted of other charges in a surprising verdict for a family whose fortune is estimated at $47 billion.

Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja each received sentences of four years and six months, while their son Ajay and his wife Namrata received sentences of four years, the chief judge in Geneva ruled.

The cases stem from the family’s practice of bringing in maids from their home country, India, and include allegations of having their passports confiscated after they were flown to Switzerland.

Prosecutors argued that the Hindujas paid their maids little money and gave them little freedom to leave the house.

The family denied the allegations.

The Hinduja family reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with the three aides who leveled the allegations against them.

Despite this, prosecutors decided to continue the case because of the severity of the charges.

Geneva prosecutor Yves Bertossa has asked for five-and-a-half year prison terms against Prakash and Kamal Hinduja.