Karl Liew, son of former Changi Airport Group chairman, admits lying to judge during Parti Liyani’s trial

SINGAPORE: Karl Liew Kai Lung, the son of former Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong, admitted in a court on Thursday (Mar 30) to lying to a judge when his family's maid was on trial for theft.

Karl, 45, pleaded guilty to one charge of lying to a judge in July 2018 by testifying during the trial in the State Courts that a cream polo T-shirt and a red blouse belonged to him.

A second charge of giving a false statement to a police officer that he found "119 pieces of clothing" belonging to him, in boxes packed by Ms Parti Liyani, was taken into consideration.

The court heard that Ms Parti worked as a domestic helper for the Liews between 2007 and 2016.

She was tried for theft, including allegedly stealing clothing worth S$46,856 belonging to Karl, and went on trial in a district court between 2018 and 2019.

Karl testified during the trial and said that two items - a red blouse and a polo T-shirt - belonged to him.

Even when Ms Parti's counsel, Mr Anil Balchandani, cross-examined him on it and said the shirt would not fit him, Karl insisted the clothes were his.

When Mr Balchandani asked Karl when the cream polo T-shirt came into his possession, Karl said: "I don't recall the shirts that I wear or take track of when I wore shirts... when I do not wear shirts."

He said he did not recognise the brand, and when Mr Balchandani told him that it was a lady's cream polo T-shirt, Karl said: "Yes".

However, he disagreed that the shirt belonged to Ms Parti.

When told that the shirt would not fit him, Karl disagreed.

When asked if he had a habit of wearing women's clothes, Karl replied: "Sometimes."

Karl knew that his lies would cause the judge to convict Ms Parti, to her injury, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelvin Chong.

The district judge later amended the charge to remove those clothes and Ms Parti was not convicted over the accusations involving the disputed clothes.

The district court later found Ms Parti guilty over other charges of theft and sentenced her to 26 months' jail.

The High Court overturned her conviction on appeal, with the judge flagging several issues with her case including a break in the chain of evidence. He also noted that Karl was "a witness who was not only lacking in credibility but also did not take the process of giving testimony seriously”.

BOTH SIDES ASKING FOR FINE

Both the prosecution and defence asked for the maximum fine of S$5,000 for Karl.

Karl has one previous conviction - he was sentenced to probation in 1993 for charges including theft.

Mr Chong said Karl had lied to the court while under oath to tell the truth and was "keenly aware" of the harm Ms Parti would suffer if she had been convicted based on his testimony.

He also maintained his lies even after Ms Parti's counsel showed him physical exhibits and confronted him on his lies, said Mr Chong.

However, Mr Chong said there was no evidence of malice or premeditation, and that Karl had not taken any "active or sophisticated steps to bolster his lies in court".

"We are also mindful that the accused presently suffers from Parkinson's disease, which affects the impact that a custodial sentence will have on him," said Mr Chong. "This is another factor that we have taken into consideration in calibrating our sentencing position."

Karl's lawyer, Mr Adam Maniam from Drew & Napier, said there was no actual harm done to Ms Parti, as the judge ultimately removed the two items of clothing from the charge.

Mr Maniam said his client was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 41, three weeks before giving evidence in Ms Parti's trial.

He said that Karl was observed to have resting tremors and slow gait, among other symptoms, a few weeks before he was due to give evidence.

Karl was stressed and "very anxious" when he gave evidence in open court, fearing his hand tremors would be noticed and that his condition would be made public.

The prosecutor replied that it was hard to see how stress would cause a person to lie.

Separately, he confirmed upon the judge's questioning that no other charges or proceedings are pending against anyone else in this case.

The judge adjourned the sentencing to April, saying he needed time to consider the case. He asked if Karl had a way of coping with his anxiety, which exacerbates his condition, as he did not want the adjournment to cause Karl further suffering.

Karl's lawyer said his client is prescribed medication at some points.

Ms Parti's lawyer attended Karl's hearing on Thursday.

AFTERMATH OF ACQUITTAL

After Ms Parti was acquitted, Mr Liew Mun Leong announced that he was retiring from his public service and business roles with Changi Airport Group, Surbana Jurong, Temasek Foundation and Temasek International.

Ms Parti subsequently took further actions by seeking an investigation for alleged misconduct by the prosecutors in her case and turning to court for a compensation order, estimating her losses to be about S$71,000 over four years.

The High Court dismissed her application, saying she had not succeeded in proving that the prosecution against her was frivolous or vexatious. Instead, there was sufficient evidence at the start of proceedings such that there was a case fit to be tried before the court.

Ms Parti has since returned to Indonesia.

Editor's note: This article has been amended to correctly reflect the charge Karl Liew pleaded guilty to. We apologise for the error.