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Ms Parti worked as a housekeeper for the Liew Mun Leong family for many years – Photo: BBC
According to Radio BBCThe trial caused a stir in public opinion in Singapore because the plaintiff is one of the super rich billionaires and owner of many of the largest companies on the island of lions: Mr. Liew Mun Leong, and the defendant is the Ms. Parti Liyani used to help out at this billionaire’s house with a salary of 600 SGD (345 USD) a month.
One day, about four years ago, the billionaire’s family accused her of being a maid and stealing things and reporting the incident to the police. Only earlier this month, after four years of fighting for justice, the court finally found Parti Liyani innocent.
“I am so happy to finally be free,” he told reporters through a translator. “I have been fighting for the last four years.”
The case of Parti Liyani has greatly enraged the Singaporean public. They question the inequality and rigor of Singapore’s justice. Many people questioned how it was possible to convict this maid in the previous sentence.
Get fired because you don’t want to be taken advantage of
Parti has worked for the Liew Mun Leong family since 2007. In March 2016, Mr. Karl Liew, Mr. Liew Mun Leong’s son, moved with his family to another home.
The indictment details a series of events that followed, saying that Ms Parti was repeatedly asked to clean her new home and Karl Liew’s office. This is a violation of Singaporean labor laws and Ms Parti has also complained.
A few months later, Liew’s family announced that Ms. Parti was fired on suspicion of taking her belongings. However, Ms Parti told Karl Liew when she announced her dismissal: “I know why. She is angry that I refused to clean her toilet.”
Ms. Parti was given two hours to collect her belongings in various boxes for the owner to send to Indonesia. The same day she took the plane home. While packing, Ms Parti threatened to appeal to the Singapore government to ask her to move Karl Liew’s house.
The Liew family decides to go through the jewelry boxes after Miss Parti has left, and claims to have found many of their own items in them. Mr. Liew Mun Leong and his son filed a police report on October 30, 2016.
Parti said she knew nothing of this, until five weeks later, when she flew back to Singapore to find a new job, she was arrested as soon as she arrived. Unable to find a job because she was involved in criminal proceedings, Ms. Parti had to temporarily stay in the migrant workers’ accommodation and live off their financial support while awaiting trial of the case.
The DVD player of Miss Parti accused of being stolen could no longer be used and the family of billionaire Liew Mun Leong threw it in the trash – Photo: HOME
Singapore’s public opinion raged
Parti was charged with stealing various items from the Liew family, including 115 items of clothing, luxury handbags, a DVD player and a Gerald Genta watch. The total value of these items is said to be around SGD 34,000.
During the trial, however, he said that those things were his belongings, or that they had been thrown away and that he had collected, and that there were also things that he had not put in inventory.
In 2019, a regional judge sentenced Ms Parti to be guilty and to 2 years and 2 months in prison. Miss Parti appealed. The case persisted until earlier this month when the Singapore Supreme Court officially acquitted her.
Judge Chan Seng Onn concluded that the Liew family had “dishonest motives” in filing a complaint against Parti with the police, but he also described many uncertain issues in the way the police, prosecutors and even a regional judge handling the case.
According to Mr. Chan Seng Onn, there is reason to believe that Liew’s family accused the police of preventing Parti from filing a lawsuit against them for forcing her to move Karl Liew’s house in a way that violated labor law.
The judge also clarified that many of the Liew family items accused of stealing from Ms Parti were in fact damaged (including the watch and two iPhones), claiming that no one would steal things. so broken.
The DVD player is also the object that Ms Parti said the billionaire Liew’s family had thrown away because it was no longer active.
Prosecutors later admitted that they knew the device was broken, but did not reveal it during the trial. The police also did not provide Parti with an Indonesian interpreter, but instead referred to a Malay speaker in a language Ms Parti did not know.
“The handling of the police investigation is very concerning,” commented Professor Eugene Tan of Singapore Management University.
The incident shocked public opinion in Singapore, many people compared it to a duel between David and the giant Goliath. Some say it is the clearest proof that the super-rich bully the poor, the weak, and defy the law.
Although justice ultimately belonged to the underprivileged, some Singaporeans continue to believe that the incident destabilizes them with a long-held stubborn belief in justice and the fairness of the national judiciary.
After the frustration and outrage of public opinion, Mr. Liew Mun Leong announced that he would resign as president of many large companies.
D. KIM THAI
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