After being investigated for perjury, Mr Karl Liew, the son of former Changi Airport Group (CAG) chairman Liew Mun Leong, was charged on Thursday (Nov 5) for furnishing false information and giving false evidence in court, the police said on Wednesday (Nov 4), following the theft trial of his family’s former maid Parti Liyani.
Karl Liew, 43, was charged with one count each of giving false evidence and furnishing false information to a public servant.
He is accused of intentionally giving false evidence on Jul 17, 2018, at the State Courts before District Judge Olivia Ho.
In a Ministerial Statement on the case in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 4), Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam said there were many aspects of the younger Mr Liew’s conduct and evidence during the trial which were “highly unsatisfactory” and which raised “scepticism”.
Perjury is the offence of willfully telling an untruth or making a misrepresentation under oath.
Mr Shanmugam said Mr Liew had made inconsistent statements when questioned whether items highlighted by the High Court had been in his possession.
In light of the comments from the High Court, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) directed the police to conduct further investigations, which have since been completed, said the police.
Mr Liew initially claimed that all 120 pieces of clothing that Ms Parti stole were his, including women’s clothing. However, he could not recall whether some items, such as a black dress and a red blouse, were his or whether he had worn them.
He also said that he sometimes wore women’s clothes, something that Justice Chan Seng Onn, who heard Ms Parti’s appeal, said was “highly unbelievable”.
In his statement, Mr Shanmugam noted that while Mr Liew had testified that a Gucci wallet, a Braun Buffel wallet and a Helix watch had been given to him by his family members, none of them could recall having or giving him those specific items. They were among the items found in Ms Parti’s possession.
Mr Liew also told the court that a bedsheet found in Ms Parti’s possession was bought by him from Habitat in the United Kingdom. However, the bedsheet had the same pattern as a quilt cover with an Ikea label. His wife also said that she had never seen the bedsheet in her room or on her bed.
Karl Liew, who was limping and accompanied by a woman, was defended by lawyer Adam Maniam from Drew & Napier.
His lawyer asked for six weeks to make representations on the case, saying that the matter took place quite some time ago in 2016 and 2018.
Karl Liew was offered bail of S$15,000 and will return to court on Dec 17.
If convicted of furnishing false information to a public servant, and if that information is with respect to the commission of an offence, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.
If found guilty of intentionally giving false information in any stage of a judicial proceeding, he could be jailed for up to seven years and fined. /TISG
K Shanmugam: Karl Liew investigated for perjury in Parti Liyani case