Hearing begins in human trafficking case involving Thai berry pickers at Lapland District Court in Rovaniemi

The first main hearing of a human trafficking case involving Thai berry pickers began on Tuesday at the Lapland District Court in Rovaniemi. Vernu Vasunta, the CEO of the berry company Kiantama, and his Thai business partner Kalyakorn “Durian” Phongpitia are accused of 62 counts of serious human trafficking, which both have denied.

Prosecutors allege that the defendants forced Thai berry pickers, who came to Finland, into labor under inhumane conditions. They are facing potential prison sentences of three to four years.

Sixty-two Thai pickers are represented in the case, with multiple lawyers advocating for them both in-person and remotely. Attorney Hanna-Mari Seppä noted that maintaining contact with the victims has generally been successful, though it poses challenges due to language barriers. Google Translate has been frequently utilized to facilitate communication. Meetings have been held both online and in-person within Finland and Thailand.

The court proceedings are scheduled unusually long, from early September to nearly the end of March, allowing for a total of five weeks just for hearing the victims’ testimonies. Following the district court, proceedings may continue in higher courts.

Many victims are low-income, leading to difficulties in arranging their transportation to court without further straining their finances. The complexity of the case has led to significant legal costs, underscoring the importance of resources for addressing serious crimes, according to the lawyers.

In addition to Kiantama’s trial, there is another case involving the berry giant Polarica Marjahankinta and its former CEO, Jukka Kristo, which is expected to commence next spring.