An Indonesian care worker was force-fed salt and prevented from leaving a couple's Sliema home, a court heard today.

Harish Daswani, 38, born in St Julian’s but of Indian descent, has denied the charges of human trafficking and threatening the woman.

The woman, Oriance Kelin, was brought to Malta via a recruitment agency in Singapore. She was promised a monthly pay equivalent to $450, but claims she was never actually paid despite working for the couple for a whole year.

Daswani allegedly told Kelin that he would pay-off the Police if she ever reported the abuse.

She eventually sought help from the Jesuit Refugee Service. Katherine Camilleri, a lawyer and director of the NGO, told the Court that JRS wrote to the Police asking for their help in retrieving Kelin’s possessions once she fled the house in June of this year.

Kelin told Dr Camilleri that on one instance, she put too much salt in the couple's food. As a punishment, she was force-fed a spoonful of salt. She was also beaten for leaving the house.

A member of the Vice Squad told the Court that he confronted Daswani as to why he was in possession of Kelin’s passport. Daswani replied that he kept all the passports together, including that of his wife.

The case was deferred.