Four members of Britain's richest family, the Hindujas, on Sunday said they have not been subjected to any imprisonment, conviction, sentence or detention. Prakash Hinduja, 78, and his wife Kamal Hinduja, 75, son Ajay, 56, and his wife Namrata, 50, were accused of "usury" for allegedly having taken advantage of their vulnerable immigrant staff to pay them a pittance.
In the statement, a spokesperson of the Hindujas said the family members have not been imprisoned and human trafficking charges against them has been dismissed.
"The four Swiss-national members of the Hinduja Family, Kamal and Prakash Hinduja, Namrata and Ajay Hinduja, have not been subjected to any imprisonment, conviction, sentence or detention," the spokesperson said in the statement.
"Per Swiss law procedures, the lower court's judgment is rendered ineffective and inoperative as the presumption of innocence is paramount until and unless a final judgment by the highest adjudicating authority is enforced.
"The most serious of the charges, human trafficking, against them were completely dismissed by the court yesterday.
"It may be noted that the case has no complainants left anymore and they had declared in the court that they were led into signing statements that they didn't even understand. They had neither intended to nor initiated such proceedings. All of them further testified that the four Hinduja family members treated them with 'respect, dignity and like family.'
"The four family members have full faith in the Swiss judicial process and remain confident that the truth will prevail."