A housewife alleged to have injured her Indonesian maid with a hot iron told the Sessions Court that the iron at her home was not in working order.
S.M. Poongavanam, 37, said this while making her defence on a charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Win Faidaa, 27, at her flat in Jalan Penawar Satu, Sri Wangsa Satu, Jelutong, between Sept 1 and Sept 13 last year.
Poongavanam said Win already had injuries on both her legs and upper back when a person, known as Kala, sent the maid over to her house. Win started working on Feb 3 or 4 last year.
Poongavanam said on one occasion, she saw Win talking to a Pakistani man at her house and advised her not to talk to strangers as she was already married.
"I also told her that I will tell her husband about her talking to strangers," Poongavanam said, adding that it was around that time Win left the house.
Poongavanam said she did not lodge a police report over Win's disappearance as Kala was the one who had sent Win to her without any travel documents.
Cross-examined by deputy public prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim, Poongavanam said Win was always fully dressed at home and she had initially liked the maid and the way she worked.
Poongavanam denied that her feelings changed after noticing Win getting close with her (Poongavanam's) husband.
She also disagreed that she had cooked up the story about the Pakistani man to show that Win had run away.
Re-examined by her counsel, S. Yagoo, Poongavanam said she had seen Win's injuries as the latter had shown them to her.
In his submission, Yagoo said the prosecution had not proven if the iron was in a working condition.
Suhaimi submitted that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and that a doctor who examined Win had testified that the injuries on her body were caused by a hot iron.
Judge Sitarun Nisa Abdul Aziz fixed Friday for decision.
Poongavanam and her husband, grass-cutting contractor A. Vealu, 40, are also facing a charge of trafficking in Win for the purpose of exploiting her.
Hearing of that case continues on May 13.
