They also rejected media reports that the Hinduja family all faced detention after court reports from Geneva said they had been sentenced to four to four-and-a-half years in prison.
Britain’s richest family, the Hindujas, have said they are shocked by a Swiss court sentencing some members to jail terms. They have appealed to the High Court against a verdict that found vulnerable domestic workers brought from India and exploited in their villa in Geneva.
In a statement issued on behalf of the family on Friday, lawyers from Switzerland insisted that their clients, Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, 70, and their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, had been cleared of all human trafficking charges.
They also rejected media reports that the family all faced detention, after court reports from Geneva said the sentences ranged from four to four-and-a-half years.
“Our clients have been cleared of all human trafficking charges. We are appalled and disappointed by the rest of the decision in this first case and of course we have appealed to the High Court. Thus, this part of the judgment is not effective,” said the statement signed by lawyers Yael Hayat and Robert Assale and Roman Jordan.
“Under Swiss law, the presumption of innocence is paramount until the final judgment of the highest adjudicating authority is enforced. “Contrary to some media reports, there is no effective detention of anyone in the family,” they said.
The lawyers also pointed out that “the plaintiffs in this case withdrew their complaints after informing the court that they did not want to engage in such proceedings.”
“The family has full faith in the judicial process and is confident that the truth will prevail,” they conclude.
The statement was released following a hearing in the Swiss city of Geneva after prosecutors opened the case for illegal activities including exploitation, human trafficking and violations of Switzerland’s labor laws.
Family members are accused of confiscating the workers’ passports, barring them from leaving the villa and forcing them to work long hours for very little pay in Switzerland.
Some workers are said to speak only Hindi. They were paid in rupees in banks they had no access to.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that the family spent more on their dog than on their employees.
The family’s legal team contested the allegations and told the court that the staff were treated with respect and provided accommodation.
According to ‘The Sunday Times Rich List’ published last month, the UK-based Hinduja family has once again emerged as the country’s richest, with an estimated net worth of around 37.196 billion GBP.
This figure is up on the previous year following the opening of the brand new luxury OW Raffles Hotel in central London.
Head of UK-based family conglomerate G.P. Hinduja operates in 48 countries across industries – Automotive, Oil & Specialty Chemicals, Banking & Finance, Information Technology, Cyber Security, Healthcare, Commerce, Infrastructure Project Development, Media & Entertainment, Power & Real Estate.
