The sister of a Filipino domestic helper who jumped to her death last November was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport last month after being accused of theft herself.
The 38-year-old suspect, who is also a domestic worker, was arrested on Dec. 16 when she arrived back in Hong Kong after bringing her 29-year-old sister’s remains home to the Philippines.
Filipino-run site Hong Kong News reports that the suspect was arrested after her employer’s sister accused her of stealing two watches worth approximately HKD500,000.
A police spokesman said, “On December 7, a 40-year-old woman reported to police that her watches […] had been stolen […] at a unit on Fortress Hill Road in North Point.”
A source familiar with the case told Hong Kong News that the suspect had been invited to the complainant’s home to receive a red packet and comfort over the death of her sister before her trip to the Philippines.
The 38-year-old, who was not named, has reportedly maintained her innocence, and was released on bail. Her employer, the complainant’s sister, has apparently stuck by her side and provided her with a lawyer and money for her bail.
The police spokesman said the suspect is required to report back to police in mid-January. An officer at the Philippine Consulate General, Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr, said that the consulate is already assisting the suspect. When asked if a case had been filed in court, Cayabyab said that the suspect would not have been released on bail if the evidence against her was compelling.
News of Janice Padua’s alleged suicide in November caused widespread grief in Hong Kong’s Filipino community, with many calling for a fair and thorough investigation.
Padua’s employer, former TV actress Celia Sie, claims the distraught Filipina plunged to her death after confessing to pawning HKD600,000 worth of Sie’s jewellery.
Police treated the case as a suicide. No note was found.
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