One of the United Kingdom's (UK) richest families spends more money on their dog than on their servants. Prosecutors have called on a Swiss court to sentence the family of billionaire Hinduja to prison on charges of trafficking and exploitation of staff at their Lake Geneva villa.
Speaking at the Geneva criminal court hearing, prosecutor Yves Bertossa said: "They spent more on one dog than on one of their servants." He said one woman was paid just seven Swiss francs (£6.19) for working up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, Bloomberg reported.
In doing so, the prosecutor cited a document entitled "Pets," which he said showed how the Hinduja family spent 8,584 Swiss francs a year on their dog.
Bertossa added that their employees had little freedom while working for the family, citing that their passports were confiscated and they were not allowed to leave the house without permission from their employer.
But lawyers for the Hinduja family denied the charges, and cited testimony from servants who said they were treated with dignity and respect. Also, they accused the prosecutor of presenting a false picture of how much workers were paid.
The Hinduja are the UK's richest family, with a net worth of more than £37 billion, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
Through their conglomerate Hinduja Group, they control businesses in nearly a dozen sectors, from finance and information technology to infrastructure. In addition, they own luxury properties in London, including the Raffles Hotel at the Old War Office in Whitehall, where the top suite costs £25,000 a night.
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