Siti Hajar's employer denies torture charges
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 06/18/2009 9:46 PM
Malaysian Hau Yuan Tyng denied accusations that she had tortured her Indonesian maid Siti Hajar at her apartment in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, Antara state news agency reported Thursday.
Prosecutor Lee King Fatt told a Malaysian court that Hua (or Michelle) had tortured Siti three times in February and June and was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Michelle's lawyer Manoharan asked Judge SK Komanthy to release his client from detention and put her under city arrest.
“My client is cooperative and has two children, one of them physically handicapped, who need care and attention from their mother,” Manoharan said.
Judge Komanthy said Michelle would have to pay RM 15,000 (US$ 4,200) in bail, hand over her passport and report to the nearby police office each month during her release from prison.
Siti, who hails from Garut in West Java, was hired by Michelle in 2006 but had not received any salary for the last 34 months.
Michelle is also charged with violating immigration law for illegally employing Siti and not extending her work permit. (ewd)
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