Moeaia Tuai' is on trial in the High Court at Auckland. Photo: Gill Bonnett
A carpenter says he never saw an alleged slavery victim work at three lodges or a campground.
Suli Tuilolo has been giving evidence at Moeaia Tuai's trial at the High Court at Auckland.
Tuai, 63, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of dealing in slaves. He also denies two rapes, assaults, eight charges of indecent assault, and six of sexual violation by unlawful connection.
Tuilolo, a lodge employee, said the complainant would only visit the lodges to play volleyball, denying he worked 50-60 hours a week in jobs that included cleaning up, repairs and gardening.
Under cross-examination, he was shown a photograph of himself and a young male complainant wearing hi-vis vests.
He denied the man worked there, but may have worn the fluorescent vest to keep warm when he visited, suggesting he played there.
"Are you suggesting that in this photograph [he] is about to go and play volleyball?" asked prosecutor Chris Howard.
"As I said previously, I'm a carpenter, I did my job," said Tuilolo. "And I always say, he does come around and look around sometimes."
The only time he would see the complainant was playing volleyball or seeing a young woman he liked, said Tuilolo.
Previously another witness gave evidence, saying she had never seen Tuai hit the female victim, and denying the family turned a blind eye to what Tuai was doing.
'Blowing the whistle'
In the closing prosecution address Howard said Tuai had been controlling the two young people and their finances, holding them in modern slavery, and beating and raping the female complainant.
Neither was allowed to speak to anyone they did not know, nor to each other in case they told people about the way they were being treated, said Howard.
Tuai's own diaries have been read to the jury, in which he sets out when beatings happened, working hours and wages, he added.
One complainant had to get a new passport to run away, the court heard, and Tuai made the other one take out a $7000 loan.
She said that after sexually assaulting her, Tuai threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
When the young woman ran away, Tuai called police claiming she had been raped by a different man and and told Internal Affairs she should be deported or lose her citizenship.
It was not a hollow threat as he might also have hoped to stop her 'blowing the whistle', said Howard. "The moment she stops being a money-producing asset, he wants her gone."
The trial continues.
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