SANTA ANA (California): A Saudi princess has been charged with human trafficking for allegedly holding a domestic worker against her will at a California condominium, prosecutors said.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas identified 42-year-old Meshael Alayban as a Saudi princess who was charged with one count of human trafficking. If convicted, she faces up to 12 years in prison. Alayban was arrested after a Kenyan woman carrying a suitcase flagged down a bus and told a passenger she believed she was a human trafficking victim. The passenger helped her contact police, who searched the condo where Alayban and her family were staying, authorities said.
The 30-year-old woman was hired in Kenya in 2012 and her passport was taken from her on arrival in Saudi Arabia. She was forced to work excessive hours, was paid less than she was promised and was not allowed to leave, authorities said.
“This is not a contract dispute,” Rackauckas told a bail hearing yesterday afternoon. “This is holding someone captive against their will.” A judge set bail at USD 5 million for Alayban and required her to submit to GPS monitoring. He also banned her from leaving the county without prior authorisation. Alayban did not appear in court. Her attorney, Paul Meyer, said the case was a contractual dispute and argued his client shouldn’t be assigned a ransom-like bail solely because she was rich. He said she had been travelling to the US since she was a child, owned properties here and had given word she would face the allegations. (Agencies)