Feds: Slave offered bribe to leave country

Federal prosecutors recommended the revocation of bail for the Muttontown couple accused of enslavement after bribery allegations arose Thursday. Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani, who allegedly enslaved

News 12 Staff

May 24, 2007, 11:06 PM

Updated 6,316 days ago

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Federal prosecutors recommended the revocation of bail for the Muttontown couple accused of enslavement after bribery allegations arose Thursday.
Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani, who allegedly enslaved two Indonesian women hired as housekeepers, are in jail awaiting the approval of their $3.5 million bail package. Prosecutors, however, said that recent events show the Sabhnanis shouldn't have the luxury of bail.
According to prosecutors, Varsha Sabhnani's mother in Indonesia offered the son-in-law of one victim, known as Jane Doe 1, a bribe. The suspect's mother guaranteed $2,500 if Jane Doe 1 left the country and refused to testify, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also made the case that the Sabhnanis, who are multimillionaires, have hundreds of thousands of dollars unaccounted for, which would enable them to leave the country if granted bail.
"They don't just have enough money to lease a plane," Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lesko said. "They have enough money to buy a plane."
In order to consider revoking bail, the judge told prosecutors that they need to prove the bribe and hidden money allegations at a hearing Wednesday.
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