Did she hop a plane back to Arabia? via Hearing Delayed for Saudi Princess in Slavery Case
An arraignment was delayed
Monday for Saudi princess Meshael Alayban, who is charged with human
trafficking for allegedly enslaving a domestic servant from Kenya in her
Irvine, Calif., condo.
Alayban, 42, did not appear in court and Orange County Superior Court Judge Gerald Johnston judge was concerned.
“I have a question to ask
here,” Johnston said. “In all cases in which a felony is charged, the
accused shall be present at the arraignment … Why is she not here?”
Attorneys Paul S. Meyer
and Jennifer L. Keller said that Alayban did not appear in court as
authorized and she has complied with all court orders.
“The nannies traveled to
the U.S. on $10,000 first-class tickets, along with the family,” they
said in a statement. “These women had cell phones, Internet, Facebook,
and the family even bought cable in their native language for them. They
enjoyed full use of the spa, gym and pool and were often dropped off to
shop alone at neighborhood malls, all paid for by the family.”
Her arraignment was postponed to Sept. 20.
The case broke July 9,
when the maid from Kenya managed to escape the condo and flagged down a
bus driver who alerted authorities. Police arrested Alayban in
connection with the case and opened an investigation into the discovery
of four more women from the Philippines found unharmed in the condo.
Alayban was charged with
human trafficking, the first case of its kind to be prosecuted in Orange
County under Proposition 35, California’s anti-human trafficking law.
If convicted, she faces up to 12 years in prison.
Alayban, who made her
first court appearance July 11, was allowed to post the $5 million bail
and was being monitored by a GPS tracking device. She was also ordered
to stay in the county and she had to surrender her passport.
The Kenyan maid told
police she agreed to work for Alayban for two years, prosecutors said.
She was paid $220 a month for 16-hour days, seven days a week, with no
time off. Among her duties — cooking, cleaning and caring for at least
eight people in the condo complex.
Alayban is one of six wives to a grandson of the king of Saudi Arabia,
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. She came to the U.S. with her three children on
a vacation visa and has been in Irvine since at least May, officials
said.
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