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| Judge reportedly typed out the theft complaint by his domestic helper against his other maid |
By Vir
B. Lumicao
A High Court judge allegedly typed a statement
by his Filipina domestic helper accusing his other Filipina maid of stealing an
envelope containing $3,700, the Eastern
Court
The supposed theft victim, Rossini Cagalitan,
made the admission during the trial of her fellow domestic worker Marites
Canacio.
On cross examination by defense counsel Mohammed Shah, Cagalitan admitted that her statement was made by Justice Jonathan
Russel Harris, before it was passed on to the police.
The judge, who employed both Filipinas in his
residence on Mt Kellett Road
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| Eastern Magistracy |
Canacio originally faced two charges of theft,
including her alleged pilfering of the judge’s wallet which contained $600.
That charge was later withdrawn by the prosecution before the case went to
trial.
Cagalitan also admitted that Harris instructed
her to pack the belongings of Canacio on the day she was terminated and sent to
her employment agent on Jan 13.
“My employer told me to pack the defendant’s
things just in case I find my wallet,” said Cagalitan, whose testimony and
cross-examination by the defense lawyer lasted the whole day, and was still not
finished when Magistrate Cheung Kit-yee adjourned the trial at around 5pm.
Cagalitan was put on the spot when Shah presented
her sworn statement in which she said Harris had told her he was terminating
Canacio, and replacing her with his former Indonesian helper Jamini, who had returned
home shortly after the defendant arrived in the household.
Cagalitan confirmed that the signature on the
document was hers, but denied saying that Harris told her Jamini would return
to replace the defendant.
“I put it to you that the statement is true and
that you are not telling the truth,” the lawyer said.
Cagalitan said she did not notice the questioned
part of the statement as she was being interviewed by Harris while typing the
statement.
“You didn’t do the statement in the police
office?” Shah asked and the witness agreed.
“So you prepared the statement in the house of
Judge Harris, then gave the statement to the police?” the lawyer asked and the
witness said yes.
Shah told the magistrate that he would like
to call the judge to the witness stand, but Cheung said that would be asking
him to give evidence based on hearsay.
The defence lawyer again raised doubts about Cagalitan’s
evidence when he asked her if she had good relations with the defendant, and
she said their dealings were limited to work-related matters as she distanced
herself when she suspected her of stealing.
Shah then provided the court copies of
Whatsapp messages between Cagalitan and Canacio in which the accuser had
earlier asked the defendant to buy $2,200 worth of Googleplay cash card to
remit money to her family. The lawyer asked why she had entrusted that much
money to the defendant?
In reply, Cagalitan said she was not the only
victim of the defendant, adding that Jamini lost $500, Harris initially lost
$100, and then $600, when his whole wallet went missing, She said when the
envelope containing the $3,700 went missing on Jan 6, she told the employer’s
Japanese wife Yuka about it.
On Jan. 13, a day after Harris allegedly lost
his wallet, the judge told Cagalitan to help the defendant pack her things, as
she had signed a termination letter. Harris reportedly paid the defendant
$3,335 representing transportation money and her 13 days’ salary.
Cagalitan said Harris watched while she packed
Canacio’s belongings in front of the first floor main door while the defendant sat
crying nearby. The witness said Harris then called a taxi and helped load the
dismissed maid’s luggage onto the vehicle.
On the evening of Jan 14, police arrested
Canacio at the Hong Kong International Airport
as she was about to board a flight to Manila
The trial resumes on May 23 with the continuation
of Cagalitan’s cross examination and the testimony of the second witness, Mrs
Harris.
