By Daisy CL Mandap
 |
| Aballe was the alleged victim's constant companion for 8 years |
A Filipina domestic helper appeared in Eastern Court on Friday, Feb 11, charged
with stealing her elderly employer’s Visa card and using it to deceive him into
taking out an overdraft in the amount of $99,000.
Richiebelle A. Aballe, 41 years old, is also accused of
stealing the Tudor watch of her employer Chung Chi-kwong who is 91 years old and is mostly confined to a wheelchair, on Dec 15.
According to the charge sheet, the two alleged thefts happened at Chung’s house on the 30th
floor of Tung Yip House in Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau.
Aballe is also charged with obtaining property by deception by allegedly using Chung's Hang Seng Bank visa card to take out the ovedraft between October 2019 and October 2021.
However, despite an amount being stated in the charge sheet,
prosecutors told Magistrate Ada Yim that the police needed to conduct further investigation into how much money
the accused had allegedly taken.
On their application, the magistrate adjourned the case to Apr 8. She also ordered Aballe
remanded in custody after being told by her lawyer that no bail application was
to be made on her behalf.
The dimunitive Aballe, a single mother of a grown-up
daughter, only looked at the Tagalog interpreter throughout the hearing, and
indicated through her that she understood what was going on, before being led
away from the dock.
Her employment record shows Aballe had worked for Chung for the past eight years.
