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Former Indonesian migrant worker sues prosecutors over false guilty charge
Former Indonesian migrant worker Parti Liyani has sued two prosecutors who charged her with allegedly stealing over S$34,000 (US$24,738) worth of items from her previous employer.
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On Wednesday, Anil, on Parti’s behalf, requested the court take disciplinary action against Tan Wee Hao and Tan Yanying, the two prosecutors who dropped charges on Parti. (Shutterstock/Vitoria Holdings LLC)
Former Indonesian migrant worker Parti Liyani has sued two prosecutors who charged her with allegedly stealing over S$34,000 (US$24,738) worth of items from her previous employer.
Parti’s former employer, former Changi Airport Group (CAG) chairman Liew Mun Leong, had previously accused her of stealing his family’s belongings.
She was cleared of all charges by the Singapore High Court on Sept. 4. Her lawyer, Anil Baclchandani, argued that she was framed by the family to prevent her from going to the authorities to report the family over illegal deployment.
The South China Morning Post also reported that there was a break in the chain of custody of the alleged stolen items, where the Liew family improperly handled the items before the police seized the items as evidence.
On Wednesday, Anil, on Parti’s behalf, requested the court take disciplinary action against Tan Wee Hao and Tan Yanying, the two prosecutors who dropped charges on Parti.
The Singapore High Court has temporarily freed both prosecutors from their duties for evaluation. If the court grants the request, they will form a disciplinary court to investigate the prosecutors.
Read also: Indonesian worker locked up by Saudi Arabian family who employed her for 18 years
If they are found guilty, the High Court chief will sentence them with legal censure and fine them a maximum of S$20,000 or other sentences.
Migrant Care executive director Wahyu Susilo said his organization supported Parti’s decision and hoped that her achievement would help to eradicate negative stigma against domestic workers.
Wahyu also stated that Parti’s case managed to reach a satisfying outcome due to her proactiveness, as well as the progressive lawyers who backed her.
He also noted that this success was also supported by the fact that each country has a different domestic legal system. In Saudi Arabia, for example, the domestic legal system does not put migrant workers in favor. The Indonesian Embassy also barely participated in Indonesian migrant workers' protection.
“However, our Indonesian representatives should be more proactive in protecting migrant workers,” Wahyu told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
