British woman jailed for keeping migrant as slave

March 17th, 2011 - 6:23 pm ICT by IANS  

London, March 17 (IANS) A British court has sentenced a former hospital director to nine months imprisonment after convicting her of trafficking a Tanzanian woman and using her as a “slave”.

Mwanahamisi Mruke, 47, who was brought to Britain by Saeeda Khan with the promise of a domestic service visa and 120,000 Tanzanian shillings a month (50 pounds), was fed only two slices of bread a day and made to sleep on the floor, the Southwark crown court heard.

Mruke’s employer also withheld her payment, the Guardian reported Thursday.

Khan also promised 10 pounds a month in pocket money to Mruke who was desperate to fund her daughter’s college education.

But when she arrived in Britain in October 2006, Mruke was forced to work around the clock and sleep on the kitchen floor of Khan’s home in Harrow, London, for three years.

Khan prohibited Mruke from leaving the house and took away her passport, the report said.

The court Wednesday found Khan guilty of trafficking a person into Britain for exploitation and sentenced her to nine months in prison.

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin also ordered Khan to pay 15,000 pounds towards police and prosecution costs, besides 25,000 pounds as compensation to Mruke.

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