ROSETOWN, Sask. — The third week of the trial of a high-profile human trafficking and sexual assault trial in Rosetown concluded Friday. The proceedings will take a short break, and the trial resumes June 2nd. The past 2 weeks saw conflicting testimony, a political twist, and deepening scrutiny of alleged exploitation tied to former restaurant employers in rural Saskatchewan.
The trial, which resumed after a September 2024 proceedings, was dominated by legal wrangling over delays and a pending Jordan application, continued with emotional and at times contradictory accounts from the complainant and a former Saskatchewan MLA.
Former Kelvington-Wadena MLA Hugh Nerlien took the stand to explain his involvement, testifying that he covertly passed a handwritten note and business card to the complainant during a lunch meeting in Tisdale in March 2023. The note contained contact details for an immigration worker — a move Nerlien said was driven by concern over the woman’s well-being, following a tip from Saskatchewan Party colleague Doug Steele, the MLA for Cypress Hills.
"We didn’t want to put her in more danger," Nerlien said under direct examination, describing the situation as “sensitive” and “requiring discretion.”
Under cross-examination, Nerlien admitted text messages between him and the complainant were no longer available and acknowledged he did not report the matter to the RCMP or party leadership until months later. Defence counsel pressed him on whether the political optics influenced his decision to delay notifying authorities — a suggestion Nerlien firmly denied.
The complainant, a woman originally from Bangladesh, provided further testimony alleging financial, emotional and sexual exploitation at the hands of Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider, who jointly face charges of human trafficking, and Masum also facing charges of sexual assault.
She told the court she arrived in Canada under the impression she would be paid fairly and supported in her immigration process. Instead, she claimed she was forced to work long hours at multiple diners in Elrose, Tisdale and Gull Lake for less than minimum wage, and that Haider required her to hand over her debit card and PIN, leaving her with little personal financial freedom.
Her testimony grew more strained under cross-examination as the defence questioned inconsistencies in her story — including contradictions about when she arrived, her employment status, and her communications with politicians.
She denied ever receiving help from Nerlien to prepare a résumé, and said their only encounter was the Tisdale lunch. The defence also highlighted her deletion of text messages with MLA Steele, which she attributed to fear of retaliation if discovered by the accused.
The trial also saw the emergence of surveillance footage depicting a heated confrontation between the complainant and another worker at a Tisdale restaurant. The video showed her grabbing the man’s collar and threatening to call police. She acknowledged the incident, saying she was emotionally distressed and felt provoked.
This stretch of trial wrapped up with continued debate over the length of the trial, originally estimated to last five days but now pushing beyond the 18-month limit outlined in the R. v. Jordan decision. Judge Martinez has not yet ruled on defence applications seeking a stay of proceedings due to the delay, but added more hearing days in November should the matter continue.
The trial is scheduled to resume June 2nd, with Steele expected to testify and cross-examination of the complainant continuing.