Four members of Britain’s richest Hinduja family are on trial in Switzerland for human trafficking after they were accused of paying an Indian domestic helper very low wages at their Lake Geneva villa. They spend more on their dog than the salary of an Indian domestic servant.

The prosecution’s arguments in court revealed five shocking facts, including that there were three more plaintiffs who withdrew their case.

The Hinduja couple has flatly denied the allegations and if found guilty, they could face a jail term of five and a half months. The human trafficking trial is going on against Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal, their son Ajay and his wife Namrata.

Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, 78 and 75 years old, did not attend the hearing, citing health reasons. Prosecutor Bertossa criticised their absence, saying they could have arranged a shorter flight from Cannes to Geneva.

Here are five shocking details revealed by the prosecution against the Hinduja brothers.

1) Spent more on pet dog than maid’s salary

Prosecutors claim the Hinduja couple paid an Indian domestic helper just seven Swiss francs (about £6.19) for an 18-hour workday, while spending 8,584 francs (£7,616) annually on their pet dog.

Prosecutor Yves Bertossa has asked the family to deposit 1 million francs for court costs and 3.5 million francs into a workers’ compensation fund.

Defense attorneys said salaries alone did not reflect employees’ overall pay and benefits, and argued employees were provided with housing.

A lawyer also claimed that an employee said her salary was good compared to what she was earning in India. According to the Daily Mail, the lawyer said the woman came to Geneva to take up the job on her own will and kept coming back again and again.

2) The Hindujas confiscated the passport of their Indian helper

The prosecution claimed in a Swiss court that the Hinduja brothers had allegedly confiscated the passport of the Indian domestic help.

According to the Daily Mail, the family members are accused of human trafficking, alleging that they illegally smuggled employees out of Switzerland after confiscating their passports.

They argued that domestic helpers cannot go out of the house without the permission of their employer and have little or no freedom.

3) Paid in India, there was no money in Switzerland

The Swiss prosecution team has alleged that the Hinduja brothers paid for Indian domestic servants in India and in Indian currency. This ensured that the person had to live in Switzerland without any local currency.

“He was paid for his work in India, meaning he did not have Swiss currency and therefore his freedom in the country was limited,” the Daily Mail quoted prosecutors as saying.

4) Extra-long 18-hour workdays

The prosecution claimed that Indian domestic help were made to work 18 hours a day by the Hindujas, and that the employees’ contracts did not specify working hours or days off, as those employed were to be available as needed.

However, the defence argued that the prosecution had given misleading information regarding the workers’ wages and exaggerated the working hours.

“When they sit down to watch a movie with their kids, can that be considered work? I don’t think so,” said Yael Hayat, Ajay Hinduja’s lawyer.

5) Three others settled out of court

While the prosecution tried to implicate the four Hindujas in the Indian domestic servant case, their plea revealed that there were at least three other plaintiffs as well.

The case comes after a recent settlement in which three plaintiffs withdrew their civil suit against the Hinduja brothers, reports the Daily Mail.