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SINGAPORE: An Indonesian maid who was acquitted of stealing Singaporean $ 34,000 worth of items from Changi Airport Group Chairman Liew Mun Leong and her family said she “never thought” to plead guilty and wanted justice to prevail.
Parti Liyani, 46, was sentenced in March 2019 to two years and two months in jail after a district judge found her guilty of four counts of robbery. On Friday, the convictions were overturned after an appeal by Ms Parti.
In a press conference on Friday night, Ms Parti outlined some of the challenges she has faced since the allegations were first made.
“I wanted justice to prevail … for these four years, they have not allowed me to work, so I have been trapped in Singapore for four years and not working,” she said, speaking through a translator.
READ: Maid acquitted of stealing Singapore $ 34,000 worth of items from Changi Airport Group chairman’s home
Her lawyer, Mr. Anil Balchandani, who took the case free of charge, said that Ms. Parti has not been able to “stay busy” because she was not allowed to work.
“While this case was ongoing, I have been withholding all this news from my family,” Ms. Parti said.
“So I did everything possible to prevent my family from finding out about my case. They did not know.
“I especially didn’t want my mother to know, because my mother is very old and I didn’t want her to get sick. So I told my mother that I had a problem with my employer, but not to the point that my case had gone to trial. “
“I could not better support my family and my hometown, but before the trial I had told my family that I could not get money, and I apologized,” he added.
Explaining the decision to acquit Ms Parti, Judge Chan Seng Onn said Friday that “the existence of improper motive on the part of the Liew family members” to mount charges against her was one of the reasons.
Parti Liyani (center, in gray) with lawyer Anil Balchandani and HOME staff and volunteers, September 4, 2020 (Photo: Humanitarian Organization for the Economy of Migration)
READ: Maid found guilty of stealing S $ 30,000 worth of items from Changi Airport Group chairman’s family
On October 28, 2016, Mr. Liew Mun Leong fired Ms. Parti, after she was suspected of stealing things from her home.
He threatened to file a complaint with the Ministry of Labor after being asked to clean the home and office of Mr. Liew Mun Leong’s son on multiple occasions.
“In my judgment, there is reason to believe that the Liew family, realizing their unhappiness, took the first preventative step to terminate their employment suddenly without giving them enough time to pack, in the hope that Ms. Parti would not use the It is time to lodge a complaint with MOM, ”said Judge Chan.
“Once he expressed a desire to complain to MOM after his sudden termination on October 28, 2016, the Liew family followed up with the police report to ensure that his return would be prevented.
“In my opinion, the Liew family could not have made a police report if Ms. Parti had not expressly threatened her on October 28, 2016 to report the matter to MOM.”
On December 2, 2016, she was arrested at Changi Airport when she was returning to Singapore to seek employment. She was charged in August 2017.
READ: The Chairman of Changi Airport Group suspected the maid of stealing for years, but tolerated her behavior
The court also found that many of the items Ms. Parti was accused of stealing were “apparently damaged, broken or worthless” to the alleged owners.
Ms. Parti said Friday night: “I forgive my employer. I just want to tell them not to do the same to other workers, what they have done to me ”.
Parti Liyani (sixth from right) cheering with HOME volunteers and staff and her lawyer, Anil Balchandani, after she was acquitted of stealing S $ 34,000 from Changi Airport Group Chairman Liew Mun Leong and his family. (Photo: Facebook / HOME)
She said that as soon as she can return home to Indonesia, she will return to her hometown and aims to start a small food-selling business.
“I have no plans to return to Singapore to find a new job,” he added.
Ms. Parti has been staying at a shelter at the Humanitarian Organization for the Economics of Migration (HOME) for the past three and a half years while awaiting the conclusion of the case.
In a Facebook post, HOME said that it has been an “emotional journey” as they struggled to provide legal, emotional and social support to Ms. Parti while trying to prove her innocence.
“She showed strength, endurance and a fighting spirit that inspired us,” HOME said.
