Moeaia Tuai is on trial before the High Court at Auckland accused of slavery, assault and sexual violation. Photo:
An Auckland man controlled two teenagers "as if they were his property", put them to work and kept their money, a jury has been told.
Moeaia Tuai, who is 63, is standing trial on two charges of dealing in slaves.
He is also accused of two rapes, eight charges of indecent assault, six of sexual violation by unlawful connection and assault with a statue and a broom.
"The modern-day charge of dealing in slaves might not match the picture of slavery you might have in your mind, perhaps, or the ball and the chain and someone holding a whip," Chis Howard, prosecuting, told the jury at the High Court in Auckland.
The Crown allege Tuai significantly deprived them of their liberty.
"He restricted their freedom of movement. He restricted their communications. He restricted who they could associate with. He put them to work, he exploited them, and he retained their income. He treated them as if they were his property."
Tuai denies all the charges, and the trial is expected to last five weeks.
Ian Tucker, defending, in his opening address, said the two complainants have made false allegations against Tuai. He asked the jury to keep an open mind until they have heard all the evidence.
Estimated $78,000 wages
The alleged incidents took place in Auckland and Melbourne, between 2016 and last year.
Howard said Tuai took the teenagers' passports and threatened to report them to immigration authorities if they ran away. The older youth did leave in 2020, and so too the teenage girl - by then an adult - last year.
Howard told the court that police found Tuai's diaries in which he had meticulously documented the girl's employment in different jobs in Auckland.
"She earned at least $78,000, though that is likely to be higher because she was paid in cash at her first employer under the table," Howard said.
"He put them to work. He took control of their income. He claimed the fruits of their labour for himself. He exploited them."
He was 'controlling and exploiting them as if they were his property' he said, taking their wages, the girl's bank login, password and bank cards, and making her take out a $7000 bank loan.
"He took their passports. He threatened them and physically abused them if they didn't comply with his various controls."
Tuai had promised he would save her income, put it aside and save it on her behalf, but he did not. Howard said when he discovered she had run away he withdrew the last $800, leaving her with nothing except the outstanding loan, which stood at $6000.
He would not allow them to communicate with others or with each other, and he told the woman he would kill her if she told anyone he had sexually assaulted her, Howard said.
The young man, whose name and other identifying details are suppressed along with the other complainant's, was first put to work at a relative's boarding lodges.
"He would complete handyman work, would collect the rubbish, do the lawns, do weeding, clean the bathroom, the toilets, sometimes do a bit of carpentry.
"He was made to work about 50 or 60 hours a week, and in exchange he would get about $100 to $150 per week in payment - obviously far below New Zealand's minimum wage, just a few dollars an hour."
The trial continues.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
