The managing director of Leisure Clothing, Han Bin, received two salaries and a performance bonus of €30,000 a year while employees working 14-hour days got €70 a month, the court heard yesterday.
The stark contrast between the income of the Bulebel clothing firm workers and their boss, who drove an Audi A6 and carried a Giorgio Armani leather briefcase, emerged when the court continued hearing the human trafficking and labour exploitation case.
Mr Han, 46, from San Ġwann and marketing director Jia Liu, 31, from Birżebbuġa, are charged with human trafficking and the exploitation of Chinese and Vietnamese workers at Leisure Clothing. They are pleading not guilty.
Police Sergeant Bernardette Valletta, from the vice squad, testified that Mr Han was arrested at his home after it was confirmed that he had purchased a flight ticket to Rome. His girlfriend of four years, who Mr Han had at first said was the cleaner, was also arrested but later released.
The witness said that while his house was being searched, Mr Han told her: “Does the Maltese government know you’re here searching my house?”
Among the items found was a signed promise of sale agreement to the tune of €537,000 for a property in St Ursula Street, Valletta, between Mr Han and Labour MP Marlene Farrugia as well as two contracts and the plans of the property.
Other documents found included a Maltese citizenship certificate and an agreement between Leisure Clothing and Vietnamese recruitment agency Vihatico.
When he was interrogated, Mr Han admitted to keeping copies of a contract showing that workers were receiving €680 a month “just in case the Employment and Training Corporation comes to check on us”.
Police Inspector Joseph Busuttil said some of the Vietnamese victims had claimed that Mr Han had asked them whether they were intent on retaining their job at Leisure Clothing.
The machine operators had also claimed they were told that if they wanted to stay, they had to sign a document declaring they were happy with their salaries, the working conditions, the level of the accommodation and the food they were given.
They signed the document “because they were scared of him”.
Mr Han, who has been the company’s managing director for 14 years, received a salary from Leisure Clothing and another from the mother company, China Chongquing, apart from the performance bonus.
He told the police employees worked 14-hour days up to a maximum of 60 hours a week. They were given time off in lieu when they worked overtime and had three breaks, totalling an hour and 45 minutes every day.
Asked about wages that were being retained by the company, Mr Han said the money was deposited in the company’s general bank account.
When asked what would happen if all employees demanded their wages at once and there were insufficient funds, Mr Han replied he would either ask the mother company to inject funds or get an overdraft from Bank of Valletta.
Mr Han told the police Leisure Clothing began employing Vietnamese workers in 2013 when it was seeking to cut labour costs. However, he complained these were “not productive enough”.
Magistrate undecided on strength of the case
Magistrate Carol Peralta yesterday requested written submissions to help him decide whether there was enough prima facie evidence for the human trafficking and misappropriation charges to stand.
The magistrate has made it amply clear throughout the almost three months of sittings that he had doubts on whether the evidence was enough to convict the two company directors of the charges brought against them.
Authorisation from the President to extend the period of the compilation of evidence beyond that prescribed by law has already been sought and secured twice. A third and final extension has now been given. The magistrate gave the prosecution, the defence and lawyers appearing as parte civile until February 10 to make written submissions.
He also requested their opinions on whether the court could find enough evidence to proceed on some of the charges and not others. The case continues on February 9.