Singapore — The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) released on Wednesday (Nov 4) a statement by former domestic helper Parti Liyani on the conduct of police officers during her trial on theft charges involving items from the family of former Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong.
HOME is a Singapore charitable organisation that was founded in 2004.
Ms Parti said: “On 3 July 2020, I submitted a complaint against several officers of Tanglin Police Division. I requested the Singapore Police Force Internal Affairs Office to conduct an inquiry into their conduct of the investigations and trial against me.”
She added that “in court, there was possible tampering with evidence in an attempt to cast me as being untruthful”.
Ms Parti also noted that while she waits for a substantive update on her request for aspects of the police officers’ conduct to be reviewed, she is “glad to know that the various agencies involved in my case have stated their intention to rectify the issues illustrated by my case, and to make improvements across the criminal justice system”.
Her full statement: On 3 July 2020, I submitted a complaint against several officers of Tanglin Police Division. I requested the Singapore Police Force Internal Affairs Office to conduct an inquiry into their conduct of the investigations and trial against me. My complaint addressed the following areas:
1. In Court, there was possible tampering with evidence in an attempt to cast me as being untruthful to the Court. During my cross-examination, when the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) asked the police officer to hand me the Gerald Genta watch, my lawyer observed that the police officer started shaking the watch while it was in his hand. I was then asked if the watch was working. At that point, and as the watch was passed around the Courtroom, its hands were moving. But during re-examination when my lawyer specifically asked the police officer not to shake the watch, the watch hands did not move at all.
2. Four statements were recorded from me without a Bahasa Indonesia-speaking interpreter. During these same interviews, I was not allowed to physically view the allegedly stolen items.
3. There were delays in the securing of evidence that raised significant concerns over the integrity of the evidence that was used to charge me.
4. There were wrong instructions given to the police crime scene specialist by the investigating officer, leading to a misleading sketch that inaccurately depicted three boxes of allegedly stolen items at that material time.
I am waiting for a substantive update on my request for these aspects of the police officers’ conduct to be reviewed.
I am glad to know that the various agencies involved in my case have stated their intention to rectify the issues illustrated by my case, and to make improvements across the criminal justice system. That was my intent in filing the complaint against the police officers, and also when I made the application for an inquiry into the conduct of the DPPs in my case. What happened to me may also happen to many other disadvantaged people. I hope that the review based on my complaint may contribute to fully and transparently addressing the broader issues, and improving the fairness of the criminal justice system for all.
PARTI LIYANI
The agencies looking into the matter are the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the police and the Ministry of Manpower. /TISG