Liew Mun Leong's son charged over false evidence

Singapore

IN THE latest development in the saga of prominent retired corporate boss Liew Mun Leong accusing a former maid of theft, his son was on Thursday charged with two offences of giving false statements in the case and faces mandatory imprisonment if convicted.

Karl Liew Kai Lung has been accused of lying on oath in the trial of Ms Parti Liyani on July 17, 2018 that a cream-coloured poloT-shirt and a red blouse belonged to him.

He faces the spectre of jail as this perjury charge carries a mandatory prison term of up to seven years and a fine.

The 43-year-old bankrupt also allegedly lied to a police officer on Dec 10, 2016, when he claimed that Ms Parti had packed into her boxes 119 pieces of clothing that belonged to him. The maximum punishment for giving public servants false information is a jail term of six months and a S$5,000 fine.

Liew was investigated after the release of a High Court judgement in September that found his testimony during proceedings "suspect". His alleged lack of credibility was one of the reasons that led the appellate judge to overturn Ms Parti's conviction on four counts of theft.

He was granted bail of S$15,000 and the next mention for his case is Dec 17.

Liew was a former private banker before he quit to set up his own investment firm. He was made a bankrupt by Ching Chiat Kwong, chairman and chief executive of listed property firm Oxley Holdings, after defaulting on a S$2 million loan extended by Mr Ching's other company Ever Tycoon Limited.

Liew's father was chairman of airport operator Changi Airport Group at the time that he made a police report against Ms Parti in October 2016. He stepped down after her acquittal led to public furore and questions were raised whether he had worked the system to his advantage.

However, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam said in Parliament on Wednesday that there was no improper influence in Ms Parti's criminal case, following investigations made after the 46-year-old Indonesian's acquittal on appeal.