Los Angeles: A Saudi princess did not appear in court on Monday on human trafficking charges, drawing a rebuke from a judge who said “I expect her to be here” for future hearings.
Meshael Al Ayban, 42, is charged with forcing a Kenyan woman to work as a domestic servant, toiling long hours for little pay.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Gerald Johnston said he was concerned that the princess did not show up in court, but could not find anything in the court record to indicate that her presence for the hearing had been ordered.
Her arraignment — when she is expected to enter a plea — was pushed back to September 20.
Meshael who was arrested on July 10, has been free on bond since the Saudi Arabian consulate posted her $5 million (Dh18.36 million) bail. She was ordered to wear a GPS tracking device and told not to leave Orange County without the court’s permission. She was also barred from having contact with her alleged victim.
Though the Kenyan woman told authorities that she had been virtually imprisoned and that her passport had been taken from her and locked in a safe, Meshael’s attorney offered a different look at her treatment at the luxurious Irvine condo where they lived.
