Ex-maid of former CapitaLand CEO on trial for stealing more than $50,000 worth of items

SINGAPORE — An Indonesian maid who served the household of Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong claimed trial on Monday (April 23) over four theft charges.

Parti Liyani, 44, allegedly stole items worth more than S$50,000 belonging to CapitaLand Group's founding president and former chief executive officer, and three of his family members – his son and daughter-in-law, Mr Karl Liew and Ms Heather Lim Mei Ern, and his daughter, Ms Liew Cheng May.

The theft purportedly took place on Oct 28, 2016. TODAY understands that she had been abruptly fired the same day, before being sent back to Indonesia.

The elder Liew reported the alleged thefts two days later, and Parti was arrested at Changi Airport on Dec 2 that year, when she returned to Singapore to seek work with another employer.

The thefts reportedly took place at the residences of both the elder Mr Liew and Mr Karl Liew at Chancery Lane.

According to the charge sheets, the bulk of Parti’s alleged loot belonged to his son Mr Karl Liew, a former private banker and undischarged bankrupt.

They included a damaged Gerald Genta watch with a broken strap valued at S$25,000, two white iPhone 4s with accessories valued at S$2,056, 120 pieces of male clothing valued at S$150 each, a S$500 blanket, three S$100 bedsheets, a S$150 Philips DVD player, S$300 worth of kitchenware and utensils, a S$250 black Gucci wallet, a S$250 black Braun Buffel wallet, and a S$50 Helix watch.

Parti also allegedly took his wife’s S$1,000 Prada bag and a pair of S$500 Gucci sunglasses with red stains on them.

She was also said to have stolen a S$1,000 Pioneer DVD player and two S$200 Longchamp bags from the senior Mr Liew, as well as Ms Liew’s leather Vacheron Constantin watch with unknown value, a S$75 Swatch watch, S$775 worth of jewellery and fashion accessories, and a S$250 pair of Gucci sunglasses.

Assistant Superintendent Tan Ru Long, who conducted preliminary investigations when the police report was first lodged, was the first witness to take the stand on Monday.

He testified that a day after Parti was arrested, he had gone to the victims’ houses to look at the items they recovered. It was not stated in court how or when the items were recovered.

Items belonging to Ms Liew were seized as she was not in Singapore to verify if they were hers. ASP Tan took photographs only of the items recovered by the rest of the family members as “seizing results in revictimising”, he told the court.

Before Parti was released on bail on Dec 4, 2016, ASP Tan testified that he had also seized some items from Parti’s hand carry luggage.

Parti, who had worked in Singapore since 1996 and had been employed by the elder Mr Liew for eight years, had been waiting for more than a year for her trial to begin. She is currently staying at a shelter provided by non-government organisation, Humanitarian Organization for Migrant Economics.

The hearing in this first tranche of trial will stretch till Wednesday.

If convicted, Parti could be jailed for up to seven years and fined.