The son of former Changi Airport Group chief Liew Mun Leong was today charged with perjury and giving false evidence in court during the problematic trial of his family’s former Indonesian maid, Parti Liyani.
Karl Liew, 43, appeared in court today to hear those charges one day after the police concluded investigations into misconduct of investigators building Liyani’s theft case that won a conviction only to be later overturned, as well as potential offenses by the Liew family, which had accused her of the crime.
“Following the release of the High Court judgement and in light of the High Court’s comments, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (‘AGC’) directed the Police to conduct further investigations with a view to assess if any offences have been committed by the Liews,” the statement read.
It said their recommendations had been forwarded to the attorney general, whose office’s handling of the prosecution is also being internally reviewed.
Liew is currently free on a S$15,000 bond. If found guilty, he faces jail time and fines. He is expected to return to court Dec. 17.
During a two-hour ministerial speech in Parliament, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam noted yesterday the court’s determination that Liew’s evidence was “unreliable” and that he had “fabricated his testimony” during Liyani’s trial. The 46-year-old maid’s theft conviction was overturned in September on appeal to the high court.
She was previously convicted of stealing items worth S$34,000 (nearly US$25,000) from the Liew family, including women’s garments that Liew claimed were his.
“The High Court found Karl’s claim that he wore women’s T-shirts suspect. The High Court disbelieved his evidence and thought he was being untruthful,” Shanmugam said, adding that it undermined Liew’s “credibility and his claim to ownership.”
“Looking at the evidence, the impression one gets is that there seems to have been a cavalier attitude on the part of the Liews, in the way some items were identified as belonging to them, and in the way values were ascribed to some items,” Shanmugam said.
“Karl has been investigated as to whether he committed any criminal offence, including perjury,” Shanmugam said yesterday in Parliament. The minister had also admitted to a number of lapses on the part of officers investigating Liyani.
At trial, Liew had testified that his Gucci and Braun Buffel wallets, as well as a Helix watch, were gifts from his family despite the fact none of his relatives recalled giving them to him. He had also overestimated the value of a watch as S$25,000 when it was only S$500, according to expert testimony.
Other stories you should check out:
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Changi Airport chief quits after ex-maid acquitted of theft
Not Friends: Singapore’s top cop ‘not involved’ in former associate’s case against maid
Opposition wants to debate Parti Liyani case, Singapore justice in Parliament
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