‘Pretty lady’: Sask. MLA testifies about text messages with alleged human trafficking victim

WATCH: A Saskatchewan Party MLA took the stand in a human trafficking trial Tuesday, alleging she contacted him about her employment conditions and work status.

As the trial of two men accused of human trafficking continued Tuesday, Saskatchewan MLA Doug Steele took the stand.

The Sask. Party official detailed how he met the alleged victim at the Empire Diner in Gull Lake.

“She was the waitress those mornings that we stopped for breakfast,” Steele said.

This restaurant is one of the three which the complainant — whose name is protected under a publication ban — says she was hired to work at before allegedly having her personal documents and wages stolen by her employers.

She also testified to experiencing abuse and blackmail by the accused, Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider. Masum is facing additional charges of sexual assault.

Steele told the court that he gave the woman his business card during one of his visits to the diner.

Steele testified he then got a phone call from the woman asking for information about employment standards and immigration permits.

“She sounded a bit distraught, it was very hard to understand her given the language [barrier]...It was concerns on the terms of how to be compensated via salary...[work] Permit concerns and not feeling very comfortable at her workplace,” Steele said.

Steel told the court that he spoke with colleagues within the legislature to learn more about the logistics of immigration work permits. He said they continued to have occasional correspondence about her employment situation and concerns.

“There seemed to be more concern of unhappiness at the place of employment,” said Steele.

“At the time, I was not aware of the extraordinary circumstances ... Some [of her] concerns were being afraid, wondering if there was going to be an opportunity to leave there, and also possibly having to leave Canada,” Steele said.

The MLA testified that he communicated with then-MLA for Kelvington-Wadena Hugh Nerlien about the complainant’s situation. Nerlien’s constituency is adjacent to Tisdale, where the woman worked in one of the restaurants at the time.

Steele testified that he and Nerlien sought out community resources which might meet the complainant’s needs.

Eventually, Steele arranged for his assistant to pick up the complainant from a house in Elrose, and drive her to a women’s shelter in Swift Current.

After the woman was transported to the shelter, the MLA testified to providing a statement to police.

When asked why he didn’t contact law enforcement prior to relocating the woman, if he felt the woman was in danger, the Cypress Hills MLA said he didn’t know the extent of the situation.

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“At the time, not knowing the details, that it was not my place to contact them between Hugh and we hoped [the contact at the women’s shelter] could gather the details and give that signal or do that,” Steele said.

While Steele testified to deleting his messages with the complainant, he did confirm that there was a message in which he complimented the woman’s physical appearance.

“I told her not to worry and called her pretty lady ... just a compliment,” Steele said.

The MLA added that the complainant responded by calling him a “handsome gentleman.”

Steele told court he spoke with plain-clothed Regina police officers with Nerlien, where they gave statements about the situation.

The defence then began cross examination.

Steele was asked about his correspondence with the complainant. The MLA testified that there was no formal record of his contact with the alleged victim.

Steele testified that he did not ask the woman to sign the typical consent form required when beginning a formal case due to the language barrier, but he continued to correspond with the woman via phone calls and text messages and discuss the topic with other officials, including Nerlien.

The defence additionally pressed Steele regarding alleged Facebook correspondence between the MLA and the woman.

Steele told the court that he did not recall communicating with the complainant through Facebook.

After being presented with evidence displaying a Facebook Messenger communication between the two, Steele agreed that he and the woman were Facebook friends.

The trial resumes Thursday in Rosetown.