Written by Jenny Hagan, WestCentralOnline.com
Sentencing has been set for two Saskatchewan restaurant owners convicted in the province’s landmark employment-related human trafficking case.
A pre-sentence reports has been ordered for both Sohel Haider and Mohammed MD Masum before imposing sentence.
The matter has been set to Oct. 22 in Saskatoon Provincial Court.
Men remain in custody
Both men remain in custody until the October hearing.
Haider and Masum have been remanded since they were found guilty on Aug. 7 following a seven-week trial that unfolded over approximately 18 months.
The convictions stem from the exploitation of a temporary foreign worker from Bangladesh who worked at restaurants in Gull Lake, Tisdale and Elrose.
Landmark convictions
Haider was convicted of one count of human trafficking.
Masum was convicted of one count of human trafficking and three counts of sexual assault.
During the trial, the court heard the complainant was recruited to work in Saskatchewan after responding to a federal Job Bank posting. Judge Martinez found both men exploited the woman’s vulnerability as a newcomer with limited English, little money and an uncertain immigration status.
The judge also found Masum sexually assaulted the complainant multiple times while she was working in Tisdale.
First written employment trafficking decision
The case is considered a legal milestone in Saskatchewan because it resulted in one of the province’s first written decisions involving employment-related human trafficking.
Following the convictions, Senior Crown Prosecutor Leslie Dunning said the ruling provides important guidance for future prosecutions and reinforces that human trafficking can occur through workplace exploitation, not only through physical confinement or organized crime.
The case also drew public attention after current Cypress Hills MLA Doug Steele and former Kelvington-Wadena MLA Hugh Nerlien testified about their efforts to help the complainant leave the situation before police launched their investigation.
