A Swiss prosecutor has accused the billionaire Hinduja family of spending more on their pet dog than on one of their servants, urging jail terms of up to 5½ years for alleged trafficking and exploitation of staff at their Lake Geneva villa.
Prosecutor Yves Bertossa presented his case at the criminal court in Geneva, citing testimony from both the staff and the Hindujas, as well as evidence gathered during his investigation.
“They spent more for one dog than one of their servants,” Bertossa stated. He detailed that at one point, a female servant was paid as little as 7 Swiss francs ($11.90) for an 18-hour workday, seven days a week. A budget document labeled “Pets” showed the family spent 8584 Swiss francs ($14,589) on their dog in a year.
Bertossa argued that the staff had no specified working hours or days off in their contracts and were required to be available as needed. Their passports were confiscated, their wages were paid in India, and they had no Swiss francs to spend, leaving them with little to no freedom. They could not leave the house without their employer’s permission.
Even when they left the Hindujas’ home for the family’s residences in the Swiss Alps or Cote d’Azur, it wasn’t for fun, he said. Bertossa questioned their activities, asking, “What were they doing there, jet-skiing?”
The family’s lawyers countered Bertossa’s claims, asserting that the servants were treated with respect and dignity. They argued that Bertossa was misleading in his portrayal of the servants’ remuneration.
“The salary can’t simply be reduced to what they were paid in cash,” said Yael Hayat, a lawyer for Ajay Hinduja, noting that their board and lodging were covered. She also disputed the claim of 18-hour workdays.
“When they sit down to watch a movie with the kids, can that be considered work? I think not,” Hayat argued.