Hinduja scion in Swiss human-trafficking trial says Nanny was like a ‘Second Mum’ to family

“I am shocked that someone who we considered to be a second mum for our children, could accuse us of something as demeaning as human trafficking,” he said later in the hearing, testifying mainly in French.

He said he wanted to thank the woman for her work for the family, adding that she’s still in touch with his kids and sends them Diwali greetings by phone.

The family confiscated their staff’s passports and put to them work on short-term tourist visas repeatedly obtained on false pretenses, prosecutors say. Ajay Hinduja rejected that accusation and said the employees had contracts endorsed by the Swiss embassy in India and their visas were regularly renewed by Geneva cantonal authorities.

Judge Sabina Mascotto immediately rebutted that characterization of events, saying checks showed the staff lacked the correct Swiss paperwork. Instead they only ever had French-issued, Schengen-zone visas, referring to the European travel area, which allows people to move without passport checks.

Ajay Hinduja said his staff were allowed to come and go from the house as they pleased provided at least one of them was home at all times for security reasons. Asked about their salaries, which prosecutors say never amounted to more than a few hundred Swiss francs a month — a fraction of local wages — he said it was the Hinduja Group’s HR department that did all hiring and contracts, not him.

On Monday evening, he said his lawyers and those for the three plaintiffs were “close” to reaching a deal that would see the staff withdraw their complaints. But even if an accord is reached, it should still mean the criminal trial will proceed.

That all the staff recruitment was done from India was a consistent refrain from the 56-year-old, who sits on the board of the Hinduja Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates.

‘Regret’
His one regret, he testified, was that he didn’t get more involved in the running of the household after his parents were convicted of minor infractions, after being denounced at an employment tribunal in 2006.

“I regret not having analyzed the situation more closely,” he said, in part because he was so busy with his own work. “I had confidence” in our legal advisers, he said.

The trial only got underway Monday after the Hindujas secured a postponement, citing the inability of the parents to travel because of poor health. The lawyers then sought to have the judge recused, citing alleged bias, and to have the case sent back for re-examination. Both requests were rejected.