Lite Beer Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Thai police drop probe into WHO official over maid slavery allegations BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai police on Friday dropped a probe into allegations of human trafficking, abuse and modern-day slavery levelled by an Ethiopian maid at her employers -- a top World Health Organization official and his wife. The 25-year-old unnamed maid filed a complaint with police last month accusing Dr Yonas Tegegn, the WHO’s top representative in Thailand, and his wife of abusing her and forcing her to work without pay for nearly two years at a residence in Nonthaburi, a northern satellite city of Bangkok."After questioning witnesses we have decided there are no charges to be brought," investigating officer Colonel Mana Tienmaungpak told AFP.Tegegn, also an Ethiopian national, has firmly denied any wrongdoing over the "baseless" allegations.According to her lawyer, the maid said she had been promised a monthly wage of 3,000 baht ($92) - roughly half Thailand’s minimum wage for a five-day week.The couple have said they paid her 6,000 baht a month and had agreed to keep it for her until the end of her contract this June, the police official added.But Surapong Kongchantuk from the Lawyers Council of Thailand, said the maid worked without pay from July 2013 to March this year when she finally escaped her employers.Legal proceedings will continue, said Surapong without detailing the next steps available for the maid, who is being helped by a local NGO. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Thai-police-drop-probe-into-WHO-official-over-maid-30257889.html -- The Nation 2015-04-10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post thesetat2013 Posted April 10, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2015 Should be easy enough to prove. A bank account with her salary holdings or some other monthly deposit with her as recipient. But if this family did nothing and thought they could just pay her all at once then that would be hard to prove their innocence. I'm speculating that this woman didn't just take the day off to run to the police to file a complaint. There must be some truth in what she is claiming 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JOC Posted April 10, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2015 >>The couple have said they paid her 6,000 baht a month and had agreed to keep it for her until the end of her contract this June, the police official added.<<Quote According to BP yesterday, they had never paid her for almost 2 years, "because she didn't have a bank account" Sadly another case where the fat cat gets away with it, and the poor maid will probably be expelled for breech of immigration rules.. It is a sad world, we are living in sometimes!! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johpa Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Sadly another case where the fat cat gets away with it, and the poor maid will probably be expelled for breech of immigration rules.. She will be lucky to survive if expelled to her home country after publicly causing her employer to lose face. She needs to apply for refugee status elsewhere at this point. And yes, I would assume that part of the deal made with the police is that she will be expelled by Thailand. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangkokfrog Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Sadly another case where the fat cat gets away with it, and the poor maid will probably be expelled for breech of immigration rules.. She will be lucky to survive if expelled to her home country after publicly causing her employer to lose face. She needs to apply for refugee status elsewhere at this point. And yes, I would assume that part of the deal made with the police is that she will be expelled by Thailand. Very sad, yes.... it looks very much like a deal has been done. Poor woman !!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Haggis Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I don't know about you guys but I have a hell of a time trying to transfer money OUT of my Thai account into my UK account, I have to go into the branch and fill out several forms to do so, despite the money not even originating from Thailand. Tell me what documents this girl needs please to open up a Thai account ? I had to have passport, rental agreement and my wife act as my sponsor. So if she didn't have an Ethiopian account, which is pretty beleievable, please tell me how easy it is for an African National to open an account in Thailand too. Unlike some, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, as this maid could have run off well before she did, if she was abused. Her claims of sleeping in the same room as the family dog people immediately jumped to the conclusion she was in a kennel, my dog sleeps in the same room as my wife and I, and when we have her nephew and nieces over, they share the same room, which means they share it with the family dog. Most people had this couple guilty as charged without knowing both sides of the story. They came out and identified themselves immediately, for sure there's cases of abuse all over the world like this, but I'd rather wait to ALL the evidence is in. And in this case there's not enough to charge them, so stop slagging them off, you're defaming them do you want TFV to be brought to account for that? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rubl Posted April 10, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2015 So, the maid was so well off that her employer could hold her salary for 'safe keeping' as she didn't need any to live on ? Her living expenses were covered by her employer ? Clothing provided? Etc., etc. ? Did her tasks include taking care of the flying pigs as well ? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCFC Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I don't know about you guys but I have a hell of a time trying to transfer money OUT of my Thai account into my UK account, I have to go into the branch and fill out several forms to do so, despite the money not even originating from Thailand. Tell me what documents this girl needs please to open up a Thai account ? I had to have passport, rental agreement and my wife act as my sponsor. So if she didn't have an Ethiopian account, which is pretty beleievable, please tell me how easy it is for an African National to open an account in Thailand too. Unlike some, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, as this maid could have run off well before she did, if she was abused. Her claims of sleeping in the same room as the family dog people immediately jumped to the conclusion she was in a kennel, my dog sleeps in the same room as my wife and I, and when we have her nephew and nieces over, they share the same room, which means they share it with the family dog. Most people had this couple guilty as charged without knowing both sides of the story. They came out and identified themselves immediately, for sure there's cases of abuse all over the world like this, but I'd rather wait to ALL the evidence is in. And in this case there's not enough to charge them, so stop slagging them off, you're defaming them do you want TFV to be brought to account for that? Why would she run away if her employers owe her a big sum of money? If your employer did that to you you'd be banging on his door day and night. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangebrew Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Bet my last baht that a huge bribe was paid to drop the investigation. maybe the Army needs to probe the police. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangebrew Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 If I remember the story correctly the passport the employers weren't holding was handed over to the police by the employers who admitted they we holding as they say her money for her isn't that the same as not paying her? Now the bank account could have been done no problem I assume she was issued a work permit? And If they weren't holding passport how did they come about getting it to the police? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maidee Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 was she help against her will ? => kidnapping why else did she stay so long ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borzandy Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 "After questioning witnesses we have decided there are no charges to be brought," next... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godden Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 wish i had enough money to buy off an inquiry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post geriatrickid Posted April 11, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 11, 2015 Another significant blow to the reputation of the WHO. In case anyone has forgotten, the ebola crisis was bungled for quite some time because the WHO had incompetent officials in place. This was attributable to political interference, cronyism, ineptitude of the highest order, and sadly an absence of integrity. That this case surfaces involving a WHO official of IMO limited qualifications who's last posting was in North Korea is not surprising. This event is symbolic of an organization that has people occupying positions in which they do not belong. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lupatria Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 How much is an "untouchable ticket" these days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FangFerang Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 (edited) "had agreed to keep it (her wages) for her until the end of her contract" This is unmitigated bull feathers, horse hockey, and mendacity. We were only trying to help her, while we kept her passport, "saved" her wages and treated her like a princess. I HATE THESE PEOPLE. I hope they meet a Pattaya jet ski renter and suffer endlessly. "there are no charges to be brought". The Thai pigs caved in to the western pigs while all feed at the trough of human misery -- now that's not Thainess at all...is it? Edited April 11, 2015 by FangFerang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SantiSuk Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 ... and yet again Thialand lets itself down by having no effective fifth estate. Journos would have a field day on this in any civilised developed country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabothai Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Be good to keep a close eye on the lady. Why would anyone believe her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOC Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Be good to keep a close eye on the lady. Why would anyone believe her. Why would anyone believe her employer Who Kept her wages for almost 2 years. "because she didn't have a bank account" Didn't get her visa status in order. Which conveniently for the employer means, she will be expelled. Offered her a wage well below the already low minimum wage in Thailand Took her passport off her. "For safekeeping" And when the case surfaced suddenly found 139.000 baht(her outstanding wages) and paid it to the police. What are the odds that the maid will ever see a single baht of those money?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Haggis Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 JOC, retaining employee passports isn't just a Thai thing, same happens in the Middle East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xenophon Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Disgusting. I hear that it did not cost that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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