KEY POINTS:
Vietnamese "ship jumpers" who were arrested and deported for working illegally in Nelson and Hawkes Bay have told a Napier trial they worked between 18 and 24 hours a day on their fishing boats, were beaten while on board and were owed months of wages.
The Vietnamese were giving evidence in the High Court trial of Thu Huynh who faces nine separate charges of aiding and abetting fellow Vietnamese to remain unlawfully in New Zealand, at various times between November 2003 and November 2004. Thu has denied the charges.
One witness, Van Thahn Truong, said he and a companion had jumped ship at Lyttelton after meeting Thu at the port and being told they could earn from $400 to $500 a week.
He said he had a wife and three children and was heavily in debt. He had worked on the boat for a year but had only been paid for three months.
He and other ship jumpers were taken by Thu to his house in Stoke, Nelson. He had to borrow $700 to pay Thu for accommodation and transport.
During cross-examination by defence lawyer Eric Forster, Mr Van Thahn denied through an interpreter that he was not telling the truth about Thu's role in finding work and accommodation for ship jumpers.
He drew a suppressed smile from Judge Tony Adeane when he said if he was not telling the truth "you can cut my throat".
Another witness, Van Ty Truong, said he and others were beaten on the fishing boat and sometimes worked around the clock. He jumped ship in Lyttelton in October, 2004.
Other witnesses, who were deported after their arrests in New Zealand but brought back for the trial, described meeting Thu at the Port of Lyttelton and being offered work, even though they knew they did not have work permits. They said Thu drove them to Nelson and in some instances, they were taken to Picton, put on a ferry and taken to Hastings where they worked in the horticultural sector. The trial is expected to end today.
- NZPA
