Indonesian Maid Stole, Lied About Beating by Singaporean Employer

Elena Chong – Straits Times

Singapore. An Indonesian maid lied to the police that her employer had assaulted her and forced her to admit to theft.

The truth was that she had stolen from her employer and inflicted injuries on herself to back up her story.

The maid, Tri Lestari, 31, was jailed five months on Thursday for stealing at least S$1,600 ($1,300) in items from her employer, fraudulent possession and giving false information to the police.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Elizabeth Chua said the domestic worker arrived in Singapore in January to work for Roslina Ng Rosli, 37. Before long, Ng realized that things were going missing from her Bukit Panjang home, and questioned Tri, who denied knowing where the items were.

Ng sent the maid back to the agency.

In the following months, Tri stayed with the agent’s mother and mother-in-law.

Investigations showed that in February, she had handed a large bag of items to the agent’s mother-in-law for safekeeping, claiming it was clothing given to her.

While staying at the agent’s mother’s home in April, she told the older woman that she had left clothing at the other place. They then went to retrieve the bag.

However, the agent grew suspicious upon checking the contents of the bag.

Shown the two watches, two pairs of shoes, a bag and an assortment of clothing, Ng confirmed that they were hers.

The agent also found other items for which the maid could not provide a satisfactory explanation.

DPP Chua said Ng’s neighbor had filed a police report on February 29, on finding Tri crying and asking for help.

The maid told the police at the scene that her employers had accused her of stealing and had hit her to force her to admit to the thefts. Numerous injuries found on her were later found to have been self-inflicted.

Reprinted courtesy of The Straits Times