A Vietnamese woman who was caught trying to leave Malta with a fake passport told police that she was being exploited by her Chinese employer and wrote a note asking an immigration officer to help her, a court heard yesterday.

Inspector Darren Buhagiar, based at the immigration section, said the woman was one of three Vietnamese caught at the seaport about to board the catamaran to Sicily with false Italian passports on July 26.

“She looked anxious and asked for a paper... she wrote: ‘I want translation Vietnamese. Help me please. I don’t want to see boss. Boss China no good. Please help me’,” the inspector said.

She also wrote: ‘Factory China’ and ‘Please no call factory, not now’,” he told the court, adding that she later wrote that she got paid between €200 and €300 a month by her employer.

He was testifying before Magistrate Carol Peralta in the compilation of evidence against Bin Han, 46, from San Ġwann and Jia Liu, 31, from Birżebbuġa, who are charged with human trafficking and the exploitation of Chinese and Vietnamese working for Leisure Clothing in Bulebel.

Mr Bin, who has Maltese nationality, is the company’s managing director while Mr Jia is Chinese but has been living in Malta for four years.

Inspector Buhagiar said investigations revealed that the three Vietnamese had been invited to work in Malta by Mr Bin and they applied for a visa from Beijing. It was issued for work purposes and was valid between November 2013 and September 2014.

They told him they made use of false Italian documents because their Vietnamese documents were held at the factory “under lock and key” together with the salary they were owed.

They were scared of their boss and did not want to work there because they were being exploited, he said.

The inspector said he referred the case to the Vice Squad and the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations.

Romina Veneziani, from the department, said she was informed on July 27 about the claims made by the Vietnamese.

Records showed that in 2007 the department spoke to the director of the factory and he was asked to open bank accounts for its employees. Some were opened.

I want translation Vietnamese. Help me please. I don’t want to see boss. Boss China no good

Elizabeth Borg, a lawyer who works with the department, said she wrote to the Police Commissioner on September 5 to inform him the employment department was investigating the salaries issue and asked him to investigate whether there was a possible case of human trafficking.

She sent the letter after consulting with a lawyer from the Attorney General’s office.

The human trafficking concern was raised by Antoine Grech, an inspector with the department.

He testified that during an inspection at the factory, carried out following the Vietnamese’s claims, Mr Bin told him he kept the salaries and passports of employees in a safety deposit box to ensure his staff did not escape.

Mr Bin also told him that employees could apply to receive their salaries by filling in a form. Mr Grech asked for copies of these applications but they were never submitted.

Mr Bin also told him he provided employees with food and lodging and deducted these from their wages.

He denied they worked excessive hours but never presented timesheets, Mr Grech said.

He went on to say the factory’s shop steward told him foreign workers were not represented in the collective agreement.

Magistrate Peralta put off the case until today to hear more witnesses, in order to be able to decide whether there was sufficient evidence for the indictment of the accused.

He said he was concerned that the human trafficking charge might not be sufficiently proven as there were doubts over whether employees were given their money and documents held by the factory, if they asked for them.

On the other hand, he said, he was concerned about the claim that Mr Bin said these were held so workers would not escape.

Inspectors Joseph Busuttil and Silvana Briffa are prosecuting.

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Pio Valletta are representing the two accused, while lawyers Katrine Camilleri, Michael Camilleri, Karl Briffa and retired Judge Philip Sciberras are appearing parte civile.