AN ALLEGED people trafficking "lieutenant" controlled 12 Romanian victims kept hungry and exhausted in a cramped three- bedroom house, the High Court heard yesterday.
Samuil Covaci lived alongside workers enticed to Northern Ireland and then denied wages for shifts in a factory and elsewhere, prosecutors claimed.
With his brother-in-law, described as the brains behind the alleged operation, a judge was told Mr Covaci took on an "alpha-male" role at the semi-detached property in Portadown, Co Armagh.
Details emerged as a bail application was adjourned for further checks to be carried out on his employment record.
Mr Covaci, a 23-year-old Romanian, is charged with 12 counts each of human trafficking and forced labour. He is further accused of acting as an unlicensed gang-master.
Similar charges have been brought against his brother-in-law Ioan Lacatus (31).
Both men were arrested after four Romanian nationals turned up at a police station in Portadown in August claiming to have been trafficked. Twelve alleged victims were then rescued from the house on Charles Street.
A total of 20 people were said to be living there in cramped conditions, including married couples sharing a single bedroom.
Mattresses were pitched on floors, there was little or no food and sub-standard hygiene conditions, Mr Justice Deeny was told.
Prosecution counsel claimed occupants had to use a single bathroom with no toilet paper.
"They described how they were hungry, only being given basic food such as bread and cheap ham and not enough of it. Some became ill, losing weight, feeling exhausted and having sore stomachs," she said.
They claimed to have been offered monthly wages of €500 euros, free food, accommodation and transport to come to Northern Ireland.
Employment was arranged for them at a sausage factory, an orchard, car wash and bakery, the court heard. However, prosecution counsel claimed wages were denied to them, going instead into Mr Lacatus's bank account. If victims ever asked for money they were given £5-£10 which was then recorded as a debt, it was alleged.
Workers were said to have been transported by both Mr Covaci, of Charles Street, Portadown, and Mr Lacatus, with an address at Hanover Street in the town.
It was claimed that when they said they wanted to leave Mr Covaci intervened and told them not to fall out with his brother-in-law.
"The role of this applicant in the operation police describe as one of lieutenant," the prosecutor said.
"His co-accused would have been the brains of the operation and this applicant would have been someone police described as being in charge of these people. Another term given to me is the alpha-male."
During police interviews Mr Covaci was said to have expressed surprise at being expected to buy food or toilet roll for the other Romanians in the house.
Barry Gibson, defending, said: "This applicant denies the role attributed to him. He says he was there in the same capacity as the other persons living in the house."
He said his client moved from Scotland to the north in May to work in a meat processing factory.
"When he was initially taken into custody it was as a victim, not as a lieutenant or alpha-male," the barrister said.
Adjourning the bail application, Mr Justice Deeny requested more information on Mr Covaci's employment since arriving in Northern Ireland.