<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A woman accused of helping her husband keep a vulnerable woman as a slave has no case to answer, a judge has ruled.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Angie Liaw, 32, had been on trial in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="" title="Victorian"><span>Victorian</span></a><span> County </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="" title="Court"><span>Court</span></a><span>, charged with assisting her husband Chee Kit "Max" Chong, 47, with intentionally possessing a slave.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Judge Michael Cahill today told the jury it was no longer required to decide Liaw's case and she would instead be found not guilty of the charge.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/tabcorp-investigation-money-laundering/87331d1b-e45a-4717-b9b7-2a3e48b0d026" target="_blank"><strong><span>Tabcorp under investigation after money laundering, terrorism financing concerns</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Having considered all of the evidence in the prosecution case, I've decided as a matter of law that Ms Liaw should be acquitted of the charge against her," the judge said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors alleged Chong kept the 61-year-old Malaysian woman, who cannot be legally identified, as a slave between January and October 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's alleged he controlled her access to the outside world, and made her clean and care for his children unpaid.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/woman-cleared-of-helping-husband-keep-a-slave/1514af04-259f-4372-8650-86e250fb61ff" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The woman was allegedly found with bruises and injuries to her leg and ears, which prosecutors claimed had been caused by assaults on her committed by Chong.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The woman escaped from the couple's Melbourne home in October 2022, the jury was told.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She died in 2024, however her recorded interview with police in 2022 was played to the jury.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/isis-linked-women-returning-to-australia-nsw-police-commissioner-mal-lanyon-speaks/ac725963-f7da-4435-ac7a-c711c47fa8f2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Police ready to stop 'breaches' when 'ISIS bride' arrives in Sydney</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors had alleged Liaw benefited from the woman's domestic services and asked Chong to give her instructions or tasks, helping Chong in controlling her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Judge Cahill found there was no case for Liaw to answer and the jury should not be tasked with deciding her fate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The judge said the jurors would still have to reach verdicts for Chong, who is charged with intentionally possessing a slave and three counts of assault.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You must not draw any adverse inference against Mr Chong because of my decision Ms Liaw should be acquitted," the judge said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chong has denied the allegations, with his lawyers asking jurors to question why the victim may have exaggerated her claims.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chong's lawyers and the prosecution are expected to begin their closing addresses later on Thursday before Judge Cahill provides his final directions to the jury.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The jurors will then be sent out to deliberate on their verdicts.</span></div></div>