Prosecutors cleared a Saudi Princess of human-trafficking charges on Friday after a Kenyan maid accused her of destroying her passport and forcing her to work long hours for little pay, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Meshael Alayban, 42, was expecting to be arraigned when the judge announced the drop in charges, which could have put her in prison for up to 12 years if convicted.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told the judge that the evidence did not support the claims made by the maid.
According to a lawyer, the maid wanted to make a statement in court but was not available until Monday. Although the judge was willing to wait, the district attorney decided to close the case.
Alayban was free on bail after the Saudi Consulate posted $5 million bond.
Another attorney involved in the case, Jennifer Keller, thanked the prosecutor for "being a man of integrity" on behalf of the princess' family and Saudi Arabia.
Alayban's lawyer, Paul Meyer, claimed the maid's allegations were "a scam to gain permanent resident status in the United States."
Prosecutors originally said Alayban took the maid with her on a family trip to Irvine, Calif. and only paid her a fraction of the pay she promised. After leaving Alayban's condominium in July, the maid got on a bus and told people she just escaped, prompting passengers to help her contact police.
Authorities investigated the family's condominium, but the family only gave them evidence demonstrating the generous lifestyle they gave to the maids. They flew to the U.S. with $10,000 first-class tickets and were given cell phones, Internet access, and cable in their native language according to attorneys.
"We also discovered that the women had deleted many of the photos and messages they had posted on social media - and asked friends to delete them also - to destroy the evidence of the true lifestyle they were enjoying," Meyer said.
