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A woman at the centre of a human trafficking and sexual assault case testified Wednesday in a Rosetown courtroom, describing what she alleged was a financially and emotionally exploitative situation after arriving in Saskatchewan.
The trial involves allegations against Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider, who were both arrested in June 2023. The men are charged with human trafficking, while Masum faces an additional charge of sexual assault. The complainant’s identity is protected by a publication ban.
Testifying through a Bengali translator, the woman told the court she was promised $1,000 per month until she received a Canadian work permit. After securing the permit, she said she was to be paid $24 per hour, but under the condition that she surrender her debit card and PIN. She alleged her employer would then withdraw all but $1,000 from each paycheque.
“Why are you taking the rest?” she allegedly asked Haider, who she claimed shouted at her and told her to “keep quiet.” She said she eventually sent her PIN to him by text. Haider owns a diner in Elrose and the house where she said she was housed in Elrose for a short period of time.
The woman testified she worked 12-hour days, five days a week, in exchange for $1,000 a month, a place to stay, and one or two meals a day. She described the basement where she slept as unfinished, cold, and lacking proper bedding. “It was cold down there,” she said. Photographs of the space were entered into evidence, though they were taken several months after the alleged events.
She told the court she contacted Douglas Steele and a newcomer support worker named Judy for help after arriving in Elrose to take her to Saskatoon. She testified she had connected with both individuals in Tisdale prior to being moved to Elrose, while seeking support for her situation.
The trial resumes Friday and is to continue into next week. Additional court dates have been set through to November 2025. A decision on a Jordan application made on Monday is still pending.