The Hindujas, Britain’s wealthiest family, on Friday said they were apalled by a Swiss court’s decision to impose jail sentences on some members in Geneva. They have filed an appeal in a higher court to challenge the verdict that found them guilty of exploiting vulnerable domestic workers.
A statement released by the family’s Swiss lawyers emphasized that their clients—Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, both in their seventies, and their son Ajay along with his wife Namrata—were cleared of all human trafficking charges. They also refuted reports suggesting any family members were facing imprisonment, despite court reports from Geneva indicating sentences of four to four and a half years.
The statement, signed by lawyers Yael Hayat, Robert Assael, and Roman Jordan, declared, “Our clients have been acquitted of all human trafficking charges. We are dismayed by the remaining decision of this first-instance court, and have naturally filed an appeal to the higher court, rendering this portion of the judgment non-effective.”
They further clarified, “According to Swiss law, the presumption of innocence remains until a final judgment by the supreme adjudicating body is executed. Contrary to certain media claims, no family members are currently detained.”
The lawyers also noted that the plaintiffs had retracted their complaints, affirming to the court their lack of intention to be involved in such legal actions.
Concluding the statement, they expressed, “The family trusts the legal system and is confident that the truth will emerge victorious.”
This announcement came after a session in Geneva, where prosecutors initiated proceedings for alleged illicit activities, including exploitation, human trafficking, and breaches of Swiss labor laws, against the family members who were charged with confiscating workers’ passports and preventing them from leaving.