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| Semilla will be sentenced for fraud on Dec 12 at Eastern Court |
A terminated 40-year-old Filipina domestic worker who took
out a $30,000 loan from a Hong Kong financing
company more than two years ago has pleaded guilty in Eastern Court
Analee Semilla appeared before Magistrate Lam Tsz-kan today, Nov
28, and admitted the offence.
But Lam adjourned her sentencing to Dec 12 after the defense counsel
said he was still verifying partial payments Semilla had made to settle the
loan before submitting his mitigation.
Court records show Semilla went to the office of Prime
Credit Limited in Euro Trade Centre in Central on Jun 3, 2017, and applied for
a $30,000 loan using her work contract as proof of income.
She did not tell the lending company that she had been fired
and that it was her last working day.
She then paid only two installments totaling $5,140 before
she became out of reach. The outstanding balance of $24,860 from the loan
amount was neither recovered nor insured, the prosecution said.
Prime reported the case to the police after learning from
the maid’s employer that her work contract had already been terminated when she
applied for the loan.
Investigators subsequently found from Immigration Department
that Semilla had been re-employed in Hong Kong .
Police raided her new work address on Jan 4 this year and arrested her.
Semilla was charged with fraud on Sept 22, and she admitted
the offense.
Her bail was extended until her next court appearance. – Vir B. Lumicao
