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Saskatchewan MLA Doug Steele says he was concerned for a woman’s safety but never contacted police, even as concerns mounted around her immigration status, working conditions and alleged mistreatment by her employers.
Steele testified this week in a human trafficking trial involving two accused men, Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider, both arrested in June 2023. Masum faces additional charges of sexual assault. The complainant’s identity is protected by a publication ban.
Steele told the court he communicated with the woman over a period of time as she raised concerns about her employment, legal status and fear for her personal safety. Despite this, he did not notify law enforcement, immigration authorities, or the MLAs responsible for the ridings where she worked, including Elrose, Tisdale and Gull Lake, saying he believed others may be better positioned to act.
“I was trying to support someone in distress,” said Steele, who has served in the legislature for more than 10 years. “I was gathering information, not conducting an investigation.”
Steele acknowledged that he deleted messages exchanged with the woman and discussed doing so with fellow MLA Hugh Nerlien prior to both men being interviewed by RCMP. He denied that the deletions were meant to obstruct justice, instead saying the effort was to “clear things up.”
Defence questioned the appropriateness of some of Steele’s communications with the woman, including messages in which he referred to her as a “pretty lady.” Steele denied the relationship was romantic or inappropriate, insisting he was trying to help someone navigating language barriers and emotional distress.
In a separate portion of his testimony, Steele said he did not reach out to business owners or follow up after the woman was relocated, nor did he contact the MLAs in whose jurisdictions she had worked. He confirmed she never lodged formal complaints about working or living conditions in specific locations, but said she had expressed fear and uncertainty in general terms.