A Swiss court has sentenced four members of Britain’s richest family to prison terms ranging from four to four and a half years.
Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, as well as their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were found guilty of exploitation (usury under Swiss criminal code) and illegal employment.
But they were acquitted on more serious human trafficking charges.
Workers brought from India claim their families pay them just £7 ($8) for an 18-hour day, less than a tenth of what Swiss law requires.
They also claim that the family – whose fortune is estimated at around £37bn – rarely allows them to leave their house in the wealthy Geneva neighborhood of Colonny.
During the trial, prosecutors said the family spent more on the dogs than on the servants.
The two elder Hindujas, both in their 70s, did not attend the court proceedings citing poor health. Ajay and Namrata were present but did not appear to hear the verdict. Their defense lawyers said they planned to appeal the ruling.
Geneva prosecutors demanded their immediate detention.
It is not the first time that Geneva, a center for international organizations and the world’s wealthy, has been in the spotlight over alleged mistreatment of servants.
Last year, four domestic workers from the Philippines filed a lawsuit against the diplomatic mission to the United Nations in Geneva, claiming they had not been paid for years.
The Hinduja family owns the Hinduja Group, a multinational conglomerate involved in oil, gas and banking. The family also owns the Raffles Hotel in London.
