Woman force-fed spoonful of salt by ‘exploitative’ employer

An Indonesian carer employed by an ‘exploitative and abusive man’ to care for his father was force-fed spoonful of salt after she put too much salt in her client’s meal, a court heard today.

Taking the witness stand in the compilation of evidence against Harish Daswani, prosecuting inspector Sylvana Briffa told the court the accused physically assaulted, threatened, and insulted his father’s care worker – Indonesian Oriance Kelin.

The inspector also told court that the man had allegedly withheld Kelin’s passport, ill treated her and failed to pay her.

Harish Daswani, 38, of St Julian’s is pleading not guilty to exploiting, threatening and trafficking Oriance Kelin.

The prosecution is arguing that the accused demanded that the woman works extra hours, and that Daswani repeatedly failed to pay her. The man is denying the charges, insisting that he always treated his employee well.

In her testimony this afternoon, prosecuting inspector Sylvana Briffa told the court that the accused allegedly threatened Kelin that if she reported him to the police, he would accuse her of stealing jewellery from their house. Moreover, she also said that she was repeatedly insulted, assaulted, and threatened.

Recounting Kelin’s police statement, the inspector told the court that in one particular incident, Kelin was allegedly insulted, beat up, and forced to eat a spoonful of salt after the meal she had cooked was deemed as being “too salty.”

The court also heard that the woman was brought to a Malta via a recruitment agency in Singapore – Homemade – and that she was promised to be paid €770 every month.  However, this money never materialised.

“While admitting that he had never paid Kelin any wages, Daswani said that he had transferred around €1,200 to pay for her flights and to cover a loan she had. When asked why he did not pay her, Daswani said that she did not give him her bank details, and that she preferred not to be paid in cash,” the inspector said.

Inspector Briffa also said that while Daswani said he had held his employee’s passport in his wife’s handbag, his wife had said that she does not know where the passport is.

Cross examined by defence lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell, Inspector Briffa told the court that as yet, the police have not made any communication with Singapore, and admitted that to date, the charges brought against the accused are solely based on the statements of the victim, and Daswani and his wife.

On her part, Jehovah Witnesses volunteer Anita Kobacs told the court that Kelin had had a heart-to-heart conversation with her in which she had allegedly ‘recounted’ her work conditions.

Explaining where she knows the victim, Kobacs said that she had first met Kelin during her volunteer work. After trading mobile numbers, the two eventually agreed to meet up at a coffee shop in Sliema.

“As soon as we arrived, me and my husband saw her [Kelin] talking to a woman, whom we later learnt was a lawyer. We later sat down and Kelin told us what she had been subjected to.”

“She was very scared and terrified, and also showed us photos of the injuries she had sustained,” Kobacs said.

Next on the witness stand was lawyer Katrina Camilleri from the Jesuit Refugee service who testified that the victim had also told her of the incident when she was force-fed a spoonful of salt.

“She told me that she had not been paid for a year, that her passport was being withheld, and also told me that she suffered physical abuse. Kelin told me that she was prohibited from leaving the house except for shopping, which in the end made her feel like she was being imprisoned,” she said.

Camilleri also sold the court that she then referred the case to Appogg, who in turn coordinated the woman’s “escape.”

In her cross examination, Camilleri, testified that Kelin had told her that she was beaten up for any wrongdoing she had committed. Asked to specify what constituted wrong, Camilleri said that Kelin had been beaten up for sing the phone without the Daswanis’ permission, and also force fed salt because was too salty.

The case continues.

Lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell was defence counsel while Inspector Sylvana Briffa prosecuted.