Maid picked up items Liew Mun Leong’s family had thrown out, says defence lawyer

SINGAPORE — Some valuables allegedly stolen by the former maid of Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong had actually been discarded and were destined for trash collection or recycling, her lawyer told the court on Wednesday (April 25) as he cross-examined Mr Liew's son.

Indonesian Parti Liyani, 44, is accused of stealing more than S$50,000 worth of items from four members of Mr Liew's family. Items she allegedly took included a damaged Gerald Genta watch with a broken strap valued at S$25,000 – according to his son, Mr Karl Liew Kai Lung – two white iPhone 4s, men's clothing, kitchenware and utensils, a black Gucci wallet and a black Braun Buffel wallet.

Parti's lawyer Anil Balchandani said the Gerald Genta watch and the iPhones had been left in a trash bag outside the Chancery Lane home when Mr Karl Liew was moving to a unit down the road. His wife's Gucci sunglasses with red stains and a Prada bag were also in the trash bag, according to Mr Balchandani.

"Sometime after (Mr Karl Liew) moved (out), Parti sorted the items… either to be trashed, recycled or necessarily re-used. She identified what she thought she could keep or fix because you or your wife had discarded these items," he told Mr Karl Liew, who disagreed.

Mr Balchandani also sought to cast doubt on Mr Karl Liew's claim that the watch had sentimental value as a gift from his father. He claimed the younger Liew had inflated the value of the watch and did not realise it was missing until the day of Parti's arrest on Dec 2, 2016, at Changi Airport, when she flew back to seek work with another employer and was found with it. The witness replied that he did not know the exact value of the watch as it was a gift.

Parti was sacked by the Liews without reasons given and sent back to Indonesia on Oct 28 that year, but had left three jumbo boxes of items to be couriered to Indonesia later.

Mr Karl Liew told the court on Tuesday (April 24) that he, his wife, mother and another maid had opened the boxes the next day, only to discover items that had gone missing and that they had not seen for years. Parti worked for the Liews for eight years.

Mr Balchandani questioned the ownership of other items Parti allegedly stole.

The kitchenware and utensils – which Mr Karl Liew said were from his student days in the United Kingdom – were bought by Parti at a second-hand store at Jalan Ampang and at NTUC Fairprice, asserted the lawyer.

Accusing Mr Karl Liew of lying, Mr Balchandani said some of the items were still in their packaging, contrary to his claims that he had used them.

As for the Gucci and Braun Buffel wallets, Mr Karl Liew said he could not remember if he had ever used the items, which he said were gifts.

According to Mr Balchandani, they were gifts for Parti from her friends. "If these items were missing, wouldn't you inform the police? You didn't inform of the missing items because they didn't belong to you," he said.

Mr Balchandani also implied selective memory on Mr Karl Liew's part – the former private banker and undischarged bankrupt could not remember if his family had changed domestic helpers multiple times between 2013 and last year, or if he had thrown away many of the items Parti is accused of stealing.

Mr Karl Liew said he is dyslexic and has had poor memory since undergoing a head operation after a major car accident in 2008 or 2009.

His cross-examination will continue when the trial resumes on July 16. The prosecution is expected to call another five witness including Mr Liew Mun Leong, Mr Karl Liew's wife Heather Lim Mei Ern and his sister Liew Cheng May.