A woman accused of calling the key witness in a slavery case and trying to persuade her not to give evidence in court will stand trial on a charge of trying to pervert the course of justice.
Kumuthini Kannan was charged with keeping a woman as a domestic slave in her Melbourne home when federal police and prosecutors allege she called the complainant from a pay phone and, posing as a Tamil interpreter, tried to dissuade the woman from giving evidence.
Kumuthini Kannan (wearing mask) outside court earlier this year.Credit:Chris Hopkins
During the one-hour call on February 16 last year, Mrs Kannan told the woman “don’t trust the police” and “don’t trust the lawyers”, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Friday. Prosecutors also allege she told the woman not to repeat what she had earlier told police; that she had no friends, would not be believed in court and that she would “rot” and die in Australia.
Mrs Kannan, 54, will stand trial over the phone call, which was allegedly been made from a pay phone at Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre.
On Friday she pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and intimidating a witness.
Police said they obtained CCTV footage of a woman walking through the shopping centre, then making a call on a public pay phone while taking notes. They allege that was Mrs Kannan.
The complainant, who is aged in her 60s and cannot be named, gave at times conflicting evidence on Friday. She said she didn’t recognise the voice on the phone but believed it was Mrs Kannan, based on what was said.
Kumuthini Kannan and husband Kandasamy.Credit:Nine News
“It was Kumuthini and no one else. No one else would talk to me like that,” she said.
“There is no one else in this place who would call me other than Kumuthini. I don’t know anyone else here.”
She said the caller knew about her past life in India and spoke and how her son-in-law had died. The caller also urged her not to trust the police or lawyers.
The complainant said she believed the caller was trying to persuade her not to give evidence in court over slavery allegations, and trying to confuse her. The call lasted about an hour, and while she didn’t hang up, afterwards she was overwhelmed and “screaming”.
But at one point during the cross-examination by defence lawyer David Carolan, the complainant agreed her memory of the call was not fresh. She conceded it was possible she was mistaken it was Mrs Kannan who called her that day, and again about one month later.
“Maybe there is a chance,” the complainant said.
Detective Acting Sergeant Matthew Court said he had no concern about the woman’s memory but was satisfied there was no threat made to her.
Deputy chief magistrate Susan Wakeling found there was sufficient evidence to commit Mrs Kannan to trial.
Mrs Kannan will face the County Court next month for a date to be set for her trial.
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