Home help: Was the butler paid?

A young Indian man who worked as a personal uniformed butler for the brother-in-law of kidnapped peace activist Harmeet Sooden says he was made to work six days a week and was rarely paid.

Mark Brewer, a wealthy Auckland businessman who gained prominence last year acting as the spokesman for Sooden's family, is accused of importing foreigners to work as his personal staff when their visas state they will work for his digital media company.

Brewer denies the allegations and says he is being blackmailed by his former employee Ganesh Agarwal.

Agarwal, 25, told the Herald on Sunday, Brewer promised him a job at his digital signage company Tri-Media when they met in India. When he arrived in New Zealand four months ago he said he was instead made to perform domestic chores dressed in a black and white butler's uniform.

Agarwal said Brewer took his passport when he arrived at Auckland Airport, and he felt helpless to resist his employer's demands without any official documents, money or friends.

"It was a horrible experience. I just wish that it would never happen again to anyone else.

"I'm helpless, it's so embarrassing," Agarwal said.

Immigration visa documents obtained by the Herald on Sunday reveal Agarwal was brought into the country to work as a "digital media technician".

The Department of Labour is investigating Brewer who may have broken immigration laws by coercing his employee to breach the conditions of his work permit, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment.

On Friday the National Business Review newspaper reported Brewer sponsored another Indian employee to work for Tri Media, only for him to work as a uniformed and live-in butler.

Brewer has emphatically denied the allegations, and said both men were flown to New Zealand to be trained as technicians on a digital sign that was planned to be erected in Auckland.

He said resource consent delays prevented the sign being approved, so the men were expected to help out around the home to earn their keep.

"You know, just while he (Agarwal) was treading water, we all help out with the chores around here."

Brewer showed the Herald on Sunday a document written by Brewer but signed by Agarwal which stated his allegations were lies.

Agarwal said he was given only one minute to read the letter, and that he signed it under duress.

The millionaire said he was the victim of blackmail, that his former employee was "clearly fruity" and he characterised proceedings brought against him at the Employment Relations Authority as "extortion". Brewer said he owed Agarwal only $430, which he could collect whenever he wanted.

The businessman said that his former employee was given a free room and board worth $1000 each month, and was paid a monthly cash sum of $1000 for working 40 hours each week.

He declined to show the ATM bank account receipts which he said were signed by Agarwal as proof of payment for his services.

When asked why there was no IRD documentation, he said Agarwal was originally to be paid in rupees to an Indian bank account, but this deal was changed at the last minute.

Brewer said his former employee was free to move around as he pleased, and could have left for India with his passport and airfare last week.

He scoffed at suggestions that he withheld the passport, and said the travel document was stored in a locked family safe at Agarwal's request.

But Agarwal paints a different picture of his time with Brewer. The New Delhi chef said that while Brewer parked an expensive Bentley in the garage of his lifestyle block home in Rodney west of Auckland, he was paid only $300 over four months despite cooking, cleaning and driving for 16 hours a day, six days a week.

Agarwal said he was also "loaned" to the exclusive Auckland Club to work as a doorman on Fridays, where he met a good Samaritan member who helped him leave Brewer.

It is understood the Auckland Club had no knowledge of the man's employment status.

After several pleas for help, the concerned Auckland businessman took Agarwal to a police station last Friday to ask officers to retrieve his passport.

He then found the distressed man a temporary home, gave him some money and a cellphone.

"I have no problem with domestic helpers or anything like that," he told the Herald on Sunday but his own view was that the man had been trapped. Agarwal says Brewer threw out all his clothes and possessions after police contacted him about the passport.

Union organiser Matt McCarten, Agarwal's legal advocate, has filed proceedings with the ERA to seek more than $36,000 of unpaid wages, costs and airfares.

The union leader said Agarwal's story was "compelling".

"In all my years as an advocate, if these allegations are true, I cannot recall a more serious abuse of power," McCarten said.

Mark Brewer was cutting the lawns of his $1.5 million home on a ride-on mower when the Herald on Sunday visited yesterday.

Brewer said there was no truth "whatsoever" in Agarwal's allegations that he hadn't been paid.

"I'm actually quite shocked at this. I actually thought I gave the guy a bit of an opportunity."

Brewer said he hired the young man in India, and brought Agarwal to New Zealand to train for six to 12 months but resource consent delays meant Agarwal would help around the house to earn his keep.

He said he asked his employee to wear a butler uniform as he wanted him to be "presentable" when clients visited his home.

"The only error I've made is giving him room and board. And if I'd made a mistake there, then I'll answer to the Immigration Department but I won't be blackmailed out of $36,000."

Brewer said Agarwal did not work long hours, six days a week.

"That's clearly ridiculous, what work would I have for him to do then? I'm asleep at 6am, and spending time with my family at 9pm," Brewer said.

Agarwal said he was offered a monthly salary of $1700 but was not given an IRD form to fill out for tax purposes.

Unaware of his rights, and with parents and two sisters back in India to fund, he felt he had no choice but to give in to Brewer's demands.