Maid abuse: couple charged

The Strait Times

March 25, 2009

By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent A PROPERTY agent was charged on Wednesday with seriously hurting the eye of his Indonesian maid and 10 other counts of maid abuse. Lim Beng Tai faces 11 charges while his wife, Connie Ng Lay Har, both 38, is charged with one count. Lim is alleged to have caused a fracture in Ms Jasmiati's right eye when he hit her at his Toh Guan Road home on July 24 last year. His other charges include pinching and using his finger knuckle to hit the 25-year-old on the neck or head. The alleged offences occurred in carparks, outside his unit and at home between March 16 and June last year. Ng, a relocation officer, is accused of punching the maid once and hitting the victim's right hand in a car on July 21 last year. The couple was represented by Mr Raji Ramason, who told the court that he would be making representations. Lim is out on $20,000 bail. The case has been adjourned to April 20 for a pre-trial conference. If convicted of causing grievous hurt, Lim faces a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, or caning. If convicted of causing hurt to the maid, the couple may be jailed for up to three years or fined up to $7,500 or both on each charge.