14 DAY TRIAL // An Arabian princess living in California has been arrested for keeping a house worker against her will.
42-year-old Meshael Alayban has been charged with human trafficking in Orange County after allegedly taking away a Kenyan maid's passport and forcing her to work with her.
The maid left Alayban's residence and got on a bus. She confided to a passenger on the bus and told her about situation, and police were alerted.
Alayban is the wife of a member of Saudi Arabia's al-Saud rulers, Prince Abdul Rahman bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz al Saud. She has been detained and bond was set at the $5 million (€3.82 million).
She was brought in for a bail hearing on Wednesday, July 10. Daily Mail writes that, if convicted, she could be going to prison for 12 years.
The Saudi Arabian consulate has agreed to defend Alayban and pay her bail. She will be wearing a monitoring device until her trial starts.
“This is a domestic work hours dispute,” her attorney Paul Meyer stated.
“This is not a contract dispute. [...] This is holding someone captive against their will,” Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas argued.
Upon receiving the call from the 30-year-old Kenyan worker, police descended at the condo where Alayban lived in Irvine.
They found four other employees from the Philippines who had had their passports taken away. They told police officers that they wished to leave the residence, and they are being assisted in finding accommodation.
“The laws of our nation and California do not tolerate people who deprive or violate the liberty of another and obtain forced labor or services.
“If any person is being enslaved, he or she should contact law enforcement. Any victim of human trafficking will receive the benefit and protection of the laws of the United States and California,” District Attorney Tony Rackauckas states.