Man accused in Sask. trafficking trial denies exploiting restaurant worker

A Saskatchewan small-town restaurant owner denies exploiting an immigrant worker. Hallee Mandryk reports.

Fifty-four-year-old Sohel Haider took the stand in Rosetown on Monday morning.

He’s accused of trafficking a Bangladeshi woman who says she moved to Saskatchewan with the promise of employment and a place to live — and maybe a path to permanent residency, for a price.

The woman, whose name is protected under a publication ban, testified she was required to share her personal documents and banking info with Haider, who would take a cut of her wage. She alleges she was offered a mattress on the floor in a cold, unkempt basement and forced to work long hours for less than minimum wage at a handful of restaurants managed by Haider.

According to Haider’s testimony, the complainant applied for a cook position online, and Haider reached out to the woman because of the experience listed on her resume.

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“I talked to my partners, then I talked to her a second time and I explained to her the situation that I didn’t have anything yet, if she can wait, once I get approved, then I can offer her a position,”

Haider helped the woman book a flight to Regina prior to her being hired. Once she arrived in Gull Lake, Haider testified he discovered the woman had no experience working in a commercial kitchen.

“I said you need to go...you are not a cook...she started begging, crying, asking somehow if there’s something for her, she must stay here.”

Haider told court he spoke with his partners about allowing the woman to stay while they worked out the logistics of hiring her in an official capacity, pending the approval to hire a foreign worker from Service Canada.

While the woman was not hired, or receiving wages, Haider testified to leaving her with the keys to the restaurant while he was away on a visit to Bangladesh.

It’s here, at the Empire Diner in Gull Lake, that court heard she met Saskatchewan Party MLA Doug Steele while working as a waitress. The two regularly exchanged messages, and Steele testified he grew concerned her work and living situation might be coercive.

Upon returning home, Haider testified he told the woman about a potential job in Elrose, pending approval, because she was struggling to find employment.

“She said no, she cannot find anything, she asked me if I can find something somewhere...as long as someone would support her for living and food.”

He told court he had ongoing conversations with the woman about her work permits but denied taking any of her personal documents.

Haider testified to driving the woman to Elrose with his wife, and dropping her off with Mohammad Masum, Haider’s co accused, who also owned a restaurant.

Masum is also accused of sexually assaulting the woman while she worked for him at Little Town Restaurant in Tisdale.