7 Women File Lawsuit Against Sultan
A lawsuit charging the sultan of Brunei with holding a former Miss USA and six other women captive in an island palace where they were expected to perform sex acts was unsealed in federal court.
A report published earlier this month said that Shannon Marketic had sued the sultan, claiming she accepted a deal to do promotional work in the oil-rich kingdom but was instead held a virtual prisoner for 32 days.
The suit, unsealed Wednesday, says the women’s passports and airline tickets were confiscated on the first day in Brunei, they were tested for sexually transmitted diseases and were taken to a “sports complex” where pornographic magazines were on the table.
The women were “put under the influence of some gas” that caused them to fall asleep their first night there. When Marketic awoke, her clothing was “disheveled,” the suit said.
Named as defendants in the suit are the sultan, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah; his brother, Haji Jefri Bolkiah; and a Los Angeles company called Kaliber Talent Corp.
However, a source close to the royal family of Brunei told the Associated Press on Thursday that neither the sultan nor his brother have been served with a writ.
Lawyers for the plaintiff could not be reached for comment.
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