By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive, Periscope
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, February 16 – The sister of the ruler of Qatar is being sued by at least three employees who say they were made to work six days a week without being paid overtime, and were retaliated against. Inner City Press was the only media present at the initial pre trial conference on the case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 14, and was tempted to object when the Qatari royal's lawyer from the Proskauer law firm urged SDNY Judge J. Paul Oetken for a confidentiality order.
Now Inner City Press can reported that the Qatari royals' Proskauer lawyer told Judge Oetken that they received a demand for $5 million from "a gentleman" --
"Doesn't sound like a gentleman," Judge Oetken remarked. The Proskauer counsel said that his partner the (former) U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Bob Cleary got involved, and the gentleman backed off. The goal of saying this seemed to be to convince Judge Oetken that the plaintiffs are connected to extortion and / or that he should agree to an extensive confidentiality order.
Royals of a gas-rich emirate that has locked up poets for criticizing them, seeking to cover up their retaliation and refusal to pay overtime? It remains to be seen how much will be covered up in the case. The defendants are Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al- Thani.
For now we can report: the Proskauer firm on February 14 not only opposed any certification of the claim to include other wronged employees of the family, it also proposed to sever the three plaintiff from each other. The plaintiffs' lawyer argued that many of the Qatari royals' employee are afraid to join the lawsuit, absent a noitce or invitation from the court promising them protection from retaliation, because they are in the United States on special visas which only allow them to work for this family, and they could have to leave the country as two of the plaintiffs have.
From the answer to the Complaint: "Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft began his employment in Doha, Qatar and that he accompanied Defendants when they moved to New York, but otherwise deny the allegations in Paragraph 39 of the Complaint. 40. Defendants deny the allegations in Paragraph 40 of the Complaint. 41. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft accompanied Defendants on their European travels in various countries during the summer of 2016, but upon information and belief, otherwise deny the allegations in Paragraph 41 of the Complaint. 42. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft accompanied Defendants on their trip to Qatar in the summer of 2017, but otherwise deny the allegations in Paragraph 42 of the Complaint. 43. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft accompanied Defendants on their European travels in various countries during the summer of 2018, but upon information and belief, otherwise deny the allegations in Paragraph 43 of the Complaint. 44. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft traveled with the family to Miami and Boston."
This is the life of corrupt royals and diplomats, such like those at the UN up to and including its Secretary General Antonio Guterres who lives alone in a $15 million mansion on Manhattan's Sutton Place (where he favors Qatar state media Al Jazeera, using it to oust the independent Press which questions him.) This is the world of immunity and impunity and now, it is urged, confidentiality. Inner City Press, now covering the SDNY daily, will have more on this.
