A MINISTRY of Manpower spokesman told The New Paper:

'Jeffrey Lee was convicted for misappropriating a sum of $4,250, being the employers' repayment of wages owed to Miss Sugiati. He was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for the offence.

'When the misappropriation was discovered through MOM internal checks, immediate steps were taken to refer Lee to the police for investigation.

'The Court has ordered Lee to repay Miss Sugiati her salary. If he fails to pay within the deadline imposed by the Court, he will face further penalties.'

The spokesman added: 'MOM tightened its internal procedures for the handling of payments.

'For example, if the foreign domestic worker (FDW) has a bank account, we will be requiring the arrears to be paid by the employer into the FDW's bank account, dispensing with the need for cash transactions.

'MOM will assist her in making the necessary arrangements for the payment once it has been received. If Lee fails to make the repayment, MOM will explore alternative ways to help Miss Sugiati.'

At press time, it is not known when the deadline for Lee to pay is.

This article was first published in The New Paper on January 14, 2009.