SINGAPORE: In a statement that she made public yesterday (Apr 14), former domestic helper Parti Liyani said that ex-Changi Airport Group (CAG) chairman Liew Mun Leong’s family didn’t show remorse or apologise to her, after she was acquitted in a high profile theft case lodged by the prominent family in 2020.
Her statement comes on the same day that Mr Liew’s son, Karl Liew, was sentenced to two weeks’ jail for lying to a judge while Ms Parti was on trial.
Ms Parti’s latest statement is an edited version of a victim impact statement that she initially wanted to submit to the prosecution, which she had hoped would be given to the judge overseeing the hearing against Mr Karl Liew.
However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers allegedly told Mr Parti’s solicitor that they did not require the victim impact statement as part of their sentencing.
The statement sheds light on the economic and social impact Ms Parti faced as a result of the accusations made against her by the Liew family. The Indonesian had worked for Mr Liew Mun Leong from 2007 to 2016 but was asked to work in his home as well as his son’s home and office, contravening Ministry of Manpower rules.
When Ms Parti indicated that she would report this to the ministry when she was terminated and sent back to Indonesia in 2016, the Liews alleged that they found items belonging to them in Ms Parti’s boxes, and filed a police report. Ms Parti returned to Singapore in December 2016, but was arrested at the airport.
She was charged, convicted, and sentenced to 26 months’ jail despite refuting all the theft allegations. The High Court finally overturned the convictions in 2020, citing insufficient evidence and an “improper motive” in the prosecution’s case as it acquitted Ms Parti of all charges.
The four-year ordeal, however, has left deep scars on Ms Parti and her family.
In her statement, Ms Parti highlighted the financial hardships her family faced as she was not allowed to work during the time she was required to stay in Singapore until her case was concluded.
She ran out of money but was fortunate to receive assistance from HOME, a local non-profit, which provided her with food and accommodation as well as connected her with her solicitor who took on the case pro-bono.
While she was able to survive, she was unable to support her family and her elderly, unemployed mother in Indonesia, as she had been doing with her salary when she was employed.
After her acquittal, HOME initiated a public fundraising campaign which raised over S$28,000, but this amount only covered a small part of what she could have earned within the four years she was unable to work.
Revealing that some of her personal belongings had yet to be returned to her as well, Ms Parti said that the case has also had a significant impact on her reputation. Since the case was covered by the media in 2018, Ms Parti was portrayed as an accused in the public eye.
She feared that news of her tarnished reputation might reach her elderly mother in Indonesia, as the articles had been translated into Bahasa Indonesia and disseminated by the media there. For four years, she had to hide the case from her family and friends, resulting in strained relationships with friends in Singapore who lost trust in her.
Her reputation was only restored years later after her acquittal upon appeal in the High Court.
Following Ms Parti’s acquittal, Mr Liew Mun Leong made an announcement stating his retirement from various public service and business positions, including Changi Airport Group, Surbana Jurong, Temasek Foundation, and Temasek International.
Despite her attempts to investigate alleged misconduct by the prosecutors in her case and seek a compensation order, Ms Parti’s application was dismissed by the High Court. The court ruled that she had failed to prove that the prosecution against her was frivolous or vexatious, as there was sufficient evidence at the outset of the proceedings to warrant a trial.
When Ms Parti returned to Indonesia, investigations into Mr Karl Liew began after the High Court judge observed that he lacked credibility and did not take the testimony process seriously.
Both the prosecution and the defence sought the maximum fine of S$5,000 for Mr Karl, who had previously received probation in 1993 for charges in a separate case that included theft.
In the latest trial involving Mr Karl Liew, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelvin Chong acknowledged that Mr Karl had lied under oath and was aware of the harm that Ms Parti would suffer if convicted based on his false testimony.
However, Mr Chong clarified that there was no evidence of malice or premeditation on Karl’s part. He also mentioned that the prosecution took into consideration Karl’s condition of Parkinson’s disease, which could impact the effects of a jail term on him, and that influenced their sentencing position.
Mr Karl’s lawyer revealed that Karl was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease just three weeks before giving evidence in Ms Parti’s trial, sharing that his client was stressed and anxious during the trial, as he was afraid that his hand tremors and his condition would be exposed to the public.
District Judge Eugene Teo, however, decided to impose a jail term on the 45-year-old. He stated that while the wrongful conviction did not ultimately occur, Mr Karl’s actions of knowingly providing false statements to the police and perjuring himself in court were inherently serious and deserved condemnation.
Judge Teo acknowledged Karl’s Parkinson’s disease but noted that the prisons could accommodate his condition, as confirmed by a letter from the Singapore Prisons Service.
Judge Teo further highlighted that if the tables were turned and Karl himself was falsely accused and dragged through police investigations and court proceedings, he would demand robust penalties for the offender.
The judge emphasized that the court’s sentencing was based on the responsibility of the judiciary and aimed to deter such conduct and protect others from similar consequences.
Ms Parti remains concerned that no other foreign domestic worker should have to go through the difficulties that she did. She said in her statement:
“Since the day Liew Mun Leong filed a report to the police to the day the hearing at the State Court concluded, never once Karl showed any seriousness in giving honest evidence.
“For whatever reason that made him anxious during the trial, if at one point he realized that he had given an incorrect statement to police officers or to the judge, he would have had ample time to retract his statement or amend his testimony. In reality, he remained in his stance by accusing me of theft until the trial concluded.”
Asserting that Mr Karl “should have treated the entire legal process seriously, considering that he already has several bad records on him,” Ms Parti added:
“There had been no sign of remorse nor any apology from himself and his family after my acquittal. It took facing legal charges that finally made him admit guilt. My hope remains high that this case would become the right lesson to us all.”
Mr Karl’s lawyer has declined to comment when asked whether he intends to appeal the ruling.
Read Ms Parti’s statement in full here. /TISG