The World Health Organisation’s representative in Thailand Yonas Tegegn has been asked to report to police on Monday to answer allegations he abused his maid and treated her like a slave.
Dr Tegegn, an Ethiopian national, said on Saturday he would cooperate with authorities to clear his name. “These accusations made against me and my family are baseless,” he said in a statement. “We deny any wrongdoing.”
Pol Col Mana Tienmaungpak, the chief investigator from Pak Kret police station, said he had sent a letter to Dr Tegegn and asked him to report in person.
He said he had received a reply from Dr Tegegn’s lawyer, who said his client was considering cooperating with police as he was confident he had done nothing wrong.
Pol Col Mana said Dr Tegegn’s lawyer said his client was ready to give any information needed to clear his name.
Dr Tegegn’s Ethiopian housekeeper, identified only as Annet, told police her former employer treated her like a slave, did not give her proper meals and provided only a small room to sleep in, which she shared with a dog.
Pol Col Mana said the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT) had taken the housekeeper to lodge a complaint and police had so far interviewed neighbours, WHO representatives and other witnesses.
Dr Tegegn said Annet worked as a housekeeper at his residence and lived there from June 17, 2013, to March 8, 2015. After that date she was scheduled to return to Ethiopia.
“We pledged with Annet and her family when we brought her from Ethiopia to help her and take care of her,” Dr Tegegn said. “At all times we have treated her as a member of our family, with all dignity, respect and consideration.”
LCT human rights advocate Surapong Kongchantuk claims there is enough evidence to indict Dr Tegegn on four charges, including human trafficking, enslavement, confinement and confiscating Annet’s passport.
The first charge carries a penalty of four to 10 years' imprisonment under Article 6 of the 2008 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, while the other charges carry different penalties under the Penal Code.
“We believe that the victim provided true testimony, and we do not believe that there is any reason for her to have ill-intentions towards the accused person,” Mr Surapong said.
He said the couple agreed to pay 2,000 birr (about 3,000 baht) a month to Annet’s family in Ethiopia, but they received only 5,000 birr for the first five months of her employment. Neither Annet or her family has been paid since.
Mr Surapong said under Thai law the money should have been paid directly to the employee, not his or her relatives. “The victim has not received a single baht since her first day of work,” Mr Surapong said. “And since she was not paid the minimum wage of 300 baht per day, we will also file civil charges against [the couple].”
Mr Surapong accused the couple of making Annet work from 5am until midnight every day, not giving her any holidays or overtime and confiscating her passport. She was also allegedly fed only plain rice.
Annet fled her employers’ house on March 8, after a year and eight months there, and was introduced to the Foundation for Women (FFW) by an Ethiopian man who found her crying on the street.
FFW received a complaint on March 12, and visited Annet three days later to conduct an interview. On March 18, they reported Dr Tegegn and his wife to Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret police station.
Pol Col Mana said the case had attracted a great deal of attention and he was worried about the diplomatic immunity of the accused. He said he was waiting for the Foreign Ministry to clarify the issue.
Dr Tegegn said no diplomatic immunity had been invoked and “we will provide all support to the investigation so that the truth comes out and our name is cleared”.
Pol Col Mana said he expected Dr Tegegn to turn up with his lawyer at the station tomorrow. The lawyer informed police that if the WHO official can’t travel he would send letters and documents to answer the allegations.
Annet is now staying in a safe house.