Emily Woods and Melissa Meehan, AAP
A husband and wife will stand trial accused of keeping a woman as their slave as the case is fast-tracked due to the victim’s terminal illness.
Chee Kit “Max“ Chong and Angie Yeh Ling Liaw faced Melbourne Magistrates Court by video link on Monday, each charged with three slavery offences.
Federal police allege the couple kept a woman as a slave at their Point Cook home, in Melbourne’s southwest, between January and October 2022.
Following months of adjournments, due to the couple’s inability to pay for and instruct a lawyer, prosecutors last month said the case needed to be urgently committed to trial because the victim had a terminal illness.
Prosecutor Michael Keks said the woman had been given 30 months to live by her oncologist.
He declined to go into detail about the woman’s illness but said as she was the prosecution’s main witness it was in the interests of justice to commit the couple to trial in case she suffered cognitive decline.
Magistrate Belinda Franjic warned Chong and Liaw at the July 14 hearing they would need to progress the case before their next appearance or they would be committed to trial.
That did not happen and the court was told Chong had procured another lawyer, whom he was yet to pay for, while Liaw was unrepresented.
“I think we’re the fifth or six legal representative that hasn’t been funded,“ barrister Elizabeth McKinnon, representing Chong, said on Monday.
Ms Franjic said any further delay to the case would cause “irreparable prejudice“ to the prosecution, due to the victim’s terminal illness, and she committed the couple to stand trial in the County Court.
She said the matter would be fast-tracked to trial in that court.
Chong and Liaw both pleaded not guilty to the three slavery offences, including intentionally possessing a slave, using coercion or threats to encourage someone to enter into and remain in servitude, and intentionally exercising over a slave powers attached to right of ownership.
They both remain on bail and will appear for a directions hearing on August 14.
