One of the alleged victims of human trafficking at Chinese state-owned textile manufacturer Leisure Clothing recounted that she was repeatedly told that complaining about abusive work conditions was futile, and that she would not be able to win a case against the company.

The company’s managing director Han Bin, a 46-year-old naturalised Maltese citizen who lives in San Ġwann, and marketing director Liu Jia, a 31-year-old Chinese resident who lives at China House in Ħal Far along with many of the company’s employees, face a total of nine charges, including the trafficking of nine Vietnamese persons for the purpose of labour exploitation, misappropriating money owed to them and failing to comply with employment regulations.

The day’s sole witness was one of the alleged victims, Duong Thi Lien, who had arrived in Malta to work at Leisure Clothing in February 2014 and spent nine months working at the company.

Ms Duong’s story, largely echoed that of other victims who had testified.

In reply to questions by parte civile lawyer Katrine Camilleri, she explained that an agency had promised a considerably higher salary than she was earning if she came to Malta to work with Leisure Clothing. She had to pay the agency a total of 75 million Vietnamese Dong (approximately €3,000) to secure a job as a sewing machine operator, and was promised a basic wage of some €685 a month – considerably more than the approximately €300 she earned back home.

But the reality was found to be considerably different.

She ended up earning a basic wage of just €230 per month – considerably less than the legal minimum wage in Malta – although overtime pay boosted her earnings. But in the end, she explained, she was working far more hours only to end up earning roughly what she was making in Vietnam.

Ms Duong noted that her inability to understand Chinese or English left her unable to do much about her situation. She did speak to a fellow worker who spoke both Chinese and Vietnamese, only to be told that it would be useless to complain.

A payslip that was presented in court showed that she had earned some €370 in a month, but Ms Duong stressed that the company did not actually pay her this amount, only giving her around €150 every two months.

At some point, three of her compatriots sought to flee the country – they were caught attempting to board a catamaran to Sicily with fake Italian passports, and explained that they were being exploited by their Chinese employer.

Subsequently, the company told its Vietnamese employees that it was ready to let them go if they wanted to return to their native country, but said that anyone who did not want to go had to sign a paper in which they declared that the salary and working conditions were very good.

Ms Duong said that her superiors informed her that she could never win a case against the company, since it was present in Malta for over 20 years, and that Maltese employees would back the company as they were getting older and feared being unable to find another job if they were let go.

Stating that she feared that she would soon be forced back to Vietnam – and not receive the money owed – she went to the police and sought legal advice.

Shortly afterwards, the company gave its employees holidays, even taking them on an excursion to Gozo, but this only made Ms Duong suspect that they were aware that legal advice had been sought.

She soon received a call from a representative of the Vietnamese recruitment agency, who told her that she knew who sought legal advice and that she would arrange for the workers’ return to Vietnam.

At the end of her testimony, Magistrate Carol Peralta insisted with Dr Camilleri that what the woman had described was abuse, not slavery, and questioned the charges filed against the two men. But Dr Camilleri clarified that slavery was not among the charges.

The magistrate also questioned Ms Duong’s failure to do anything about her situation for months on end, but the witness stressed that she feared being sent back to Vietnam without being given what she was owed.

The case continues on 11 June. Inspector Sylvana Briffa prosecuted, while lawyers Pio Valletta and Edward Gatt appeared for Mr Han and Mr Liu.