PROVIDENCE, R.I., July 20 (UPI) -- A military officer from the United Arab Emirates is on trial in Rhode Island, charged with enslaving a Filipino woman while he was at the Naval War College.
Col. Arif Mohamed Saeed Mohamed al-Ali allegedly lured Elizabeth Cabitla Ballesteros to the United States and forced her to work long hours without pay as a housekeeper, The Providence Journal reported. He also allegedly deceived U.S. immigration officials, showing them documents that said Ballesteros had been paid $19,000.
On Tuesday, al-Ali's lawyer asked the federal judge presiding over his bench trial to disqualify the interpreter who translated Ballesteros' testimony Monday. Robert Corrente, a former federal prosecutor, argued the interpreter appeared to be summarizing Ballesteros's answers to questions instead of giving a verbatim translation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Mary Lisi suspended the bench trial until Friday. She said she will rule then on the motion.
Al-Ali, who finished his course at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., June 10, is free on $100,000 bail.
