Singapore justice system not skewed in favour of elites, government inquiry finds
- The review was launched following the September acquittal of Indonesian domestic worker Parti Liyani, who battled for four years to clear her name
- Her influential ex-employer Liew Mun Leong and his family had accused her of theft after terminating her employment in 2016
While the high-profile case involving 46-year-old Parti Liyani had raised questions among citizens over whether there was “one law for the wealthy, socially connected, and another for the rest of society”, the review found otherwise, the minister told parliament.
Still, additional inquiries are under way – with the police officers involved in the case currently under internal investigation and prosecutors who sought a conviction against Parti facing separate disciplinary proceedings into whether they acted improperly.
Parti, who had filed complaints against the police and prosecutors, said in a statement released hours before Shanmugam’s speech that she was “glad to know that the various agencies involved in my case have stated their intention to rectify the issues illustrated by my case”.
“I hope that the review based on my complaint may contribute to fully and transparently addressing the broader issues, and improving the fairness of the criminal justice system for all,” she added.
In a speech outlining the outcome of the review – keenly awaited since it was first announced in September – Shanmugam said the Singapore Police Force and the Attorney General’s Chambers faced no “improper nor any undue pressure” to act against Parti “at any stage of these investigations and proceedings”.