DPM Heng: Parti Liyani case shows criminal justice system works

Singapore — Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat says the high-profile court case involving former maid Parti Liyani shows that the country’s criminal justice system works.

Ms Liyani, who had been convicted of theft in March last year from the home of former Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong, was acquitted on appeal by the High Court on Sept 4 this year.

Law Minister K Shanmugam delivered a Ministerial Speech on the case in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 4). It also came up when Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim’s Justice For All motion came up for debate in the House the same day.

Although the marathon debate in Parliament stretched close to midnight, Mr Heng took time to register his take on social media.

In a Facebook post published at 12.21 am on Thursday (Nov 5), he affirmed that Singapore’s success is built on the foundations of a clean government, a fair criminal justice system and equality for all before the law.

Noting that the case involving Ms Liyani had drawn significant attention because of Mr Liew’s status, Mr Heng repeated the point in Mr Shanmugam’s Ministerial Statement that the case was handled like any criminal investigation, although it had shown where there could be improvements in the work of the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Mr Heng added that the case illustrated how the Singapore justice system worked. He said: “This case shows that our criminal justice system as a whole works. The Government will uphold the rule of law, protect the integrity of our institutions, and continuously improve to ensure fairness, justice and equality before the law.”