Sask. human trafficking trial hears conflicting testimony from key witnesses

WATCH: The trial of Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider continues in a makeshift Rosetown courtroom.

A human trafficking trial connected to three small-town Saskatchewan restaurants heard contradictory testimony from two key witnesses on Wednesday.

The trial of Mahammad Masum and Sohel Haider continued through its third week Wednesday with cross-examination of Hugh Nerlien, a former Saskatchewan Party MLA who court heard was enlisted by his colleague Doug Steele to pass a clandestine note with a safe contact number to a woman, whose name is protected under a publication ban, that police say was forced to work long hours for little pay and was sexually assaulted by Masum.

The court heard Steele, Sask. Party MLA for Cypress Hills, met the woman at Empire Diner in Gull Lake and grew concerned she may be in an exploitative employment situation.

Nerlien, who served as MLA for Kelvington-Wadena from 2016 to 2024, testified he and Steele were concerned for her welfare and regularly spoke about what whether to intervene and how.

When the woman was suddenly moved from Gull Lake to Tisdale to work at Little Town Restaurant, Nerlien said he went for lunch and passed her a note with the number of a nearby settlement agent he believed could help.

When the trial began in September, the woman testified Masum made unwelcome sexual advances shortly after she arrived in Tisdale. She told court he grabbed her from behind in the walk-in freezer and kissed her neck. Later, she says he drove her to a secluded area, removed her pants and raped her.

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After the woman had left her job at Bob’s Diner in Elrose to what witnesses described as a “safe place,” Nerlien said she contacted him for help updating her resume – and that they communicated regularly over text and email for that purpose.

Court heard Nerlien told police the woman changed her number or phone provider, and as a result, he lost their messages and was unable to provide them with RCMP investigators.

In cross-examination, Nerlien said he couldn’t remember why he lost the message he exchanged with the complainant – whether it was because she got a new phone, or he did, or both.

But in an unexpected revelation Wednesday as the woman returned for cross-examination, she denied Nerlien provided any help crafting her resume.

As her testimony all went through a court-appointed Bengali translator, the judge asked her to clarify whether she contacted Nerlien for resume help at any point – before or after her employment at the three restaurants connected to the case.

Again, she said no, moments before the trial adjourned for the day.

The defence is expected to continue with its cross-examination of the complainant on Thursday.

The move to Canada, struggle to find work

When the Bangladeshi woman at the centre of this human trafficking trial returned to the stand for cross-examination Wednesday afternoon, she told court she always dreamed of living in Canada.

“As a child I used to collect maple leafs,” she said, testifying she was enchanted by the idea of seeing snow for the first time.

Court heard the woman earned two masters degrees in Bangladesh and formerly worked at a government-run geological research laboratory.

The woman described her lifestyle in Bangladesh as “first class” – she, her husband and her close relatives had good jobs and lived well, she said.

“I wouldn’t say we were wealthy, but we didn’t have any needs.”

She testified she travelled to Toronto on a visitor’s visa and stayed to find work at the encouragement of her relatives.

Court heard she applied for a number of restaurant jobs in Toronto, including Burger King, with no success, so she started looking farther afield, responding to ads from businesses in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Empire Diner in Gull Lake was the first to call back.