Judge Dismisses Case Pushed by Immigrant Advocacy Group on Behalf of Indonesian Housemaid

Judge dismisses case pushed by Immigrant Advocacy Group on behalf of Indonesian housemaid.

2012-02-23

LOS ANGELES, CA, February 23, 2012 (Press-News.org) On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Norm Shapiro dismissed all charges against Andrew Tjia related to the false claims by Indonesian national Suminarti Yusuf that she was illegally employed as a housemaid in the Tjia residence near Los Angeles for two months in February and March of 2006. By her own account Yusuf, age 52, speaks English, Arabic, and Indonesian and had lived in London, Frankfurt, Saudi Arabia, Chicago, and San Diego, and previously traveled to New York, Disney World, and Los Angeles. In late 2005, Yusuf was hired in Jakarta, Indonesia by Mr. Tjia's elderly parents to assist them during a planned three-month visit with their son's family in Southern California after the Chinese New Year. Yusuf was hired because she had a valid U.S. visa to travel to the U.S. and work for Mr. Tjias' parents during their stay near Los Angeles. In January 2006, Yusuf traveled with Mr. Tjia's father from Indonesia to the Tjia home near Los Angeles to prepare for the arrival of Mr. Tjia's mother as soon as her medical treatment permitted her to travel. Yusuf was to work for the parents during their visit and then return with them to Indonesia on her round-trip ticket in April 2006. Once in California, however, Yusuf did not want to return to Indonesia and made contact with Indonesian nationals living illegally in the U.S. After refusing to leave the Tjia home, and with the help of friends and an immigrant advocacy group, Yusuf staged her "escape" from the Tjia residence after two months.

Under the special T-visa program, Yusuf could to stay in the United States only if she claimed to be a victim of a severe form of human trafficking. Yusuf's claims were rejected by the Los Angeles District Attorney, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office of the United States Attorney. Only after Yusuf fabricated bizarre stories of mistreatment, and the immigrant advocacy group lobbied on her behalf for over a year and a half, did her case gain any traction. Yusuf claimed that even though she was never confined or restrained in any way, was never hit or touched, and was free to leave the home at any time, she was unable to leave on her own because she was unfamiliar with the Los Angeles area, didn't speak English well, and did not want to return to Indonesia.

"Judge Shapiro's dismissal puts an end to a four-year legal nightmare for Mr. Tjia," according to Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Mark Hathaway. "The Tjia family can finally put this ordeal behind them and get on with their lives."

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