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| The accused maid said in court that she herself lost money in her employer's house |
A Filipina domestic helper accused of stealing 1,700
renminbi from her female employer in December 2018 said she herself lost $1,500
that she kept in her bag inside the employer’s house in Mid-Levels.
Giving evidence on the second day of a retrial of her case
in Eastern Court
The 35-year-old defendant said during questioning by her
counsel Philip Ross that the money was still in the bag when she last checked
it on Dec 10, 2018.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Berbana, a farmer’s single daughter who finished one
semester in a BS Nursing course, came to Hong Kong
to work for Wong and her family on Aug 21, 2015.
Previously, she worked for two years as a domestic worker in
Jordan , and then as a tutor and
later, teaching assistant in the United Arab Emirates.
Through Ross’ questioning, the defendant described a working
relationship with the Wongs in which she served six adults including the
employer’s elder son Ming and his wife Victoria, the younger son Wesley and his
girlfriend Ellen.
Berbana said Ming and Victoria moved out of the parents’ Caine Rd Conduit Rd Victoria
Ming and his family moved back to the Conduit Rd
On Nov 16, 2016, she said her relations with Wesley soured
when he asked her about a Hermes scarf that his girlfriend Ellen had left in
the Conduit Rd
In March the next year, Wesley again asked Berbana about a
blue dress that Ellen could not find. He brought up the blue dress again in
August of 2018, and this time, accused her of stealing it.
The employer’s son also allegedly accused her of stealing
money from his father.
Berbana denied in court that she stole all the items Wesley
accused her of taking.
At her lawyer’s questioning, she also denied charges that
she stole Rmb1,700 from Wong on Dec 21, 2018.
Berbana said Wong agreed to pay all her Labour Tribunal
claims after the presiding officer foiled the employer’s insistence to deduct
$4,000 for a loan she supposedly made to the helper.
Despite this, Berbana said her former employer filed a claim
against her at the Small Claims Tribunal to claim back the $4,000.
Ross had accused Wong during cross examination of “stealing” from the maid by deducting $4,000
from her Labour Tribunal settlement.
Also giving evidence before Berbana took the stand were two
male police officers who searched her belongings and arrested her on the night
of Dec 21, 2018 after Wong reported the alleged theft.
The officers testified finding the missing money from
Berbana’s black jacket that had been hanging on a rod in her room.
The prosecutor began her cross-examination of the defendant
by asking her why she had vivid details of the police search of her jacket. The
maid appeared unprepared for the question, with the prosecutor saying twice
that she didn’t answer the question.
The trial will resume on Jul 23.
