Second suspect arrested in Filipina freezer murder case

Second suspect arrested in Filipina freezer murder case
A Syrian woman has been arrested in Lebanon, who along with her husband, employed a Filipina maid whose body was found in the freezer of a Kuwait apartment.
2 min read
25 February, 2018
The body of Joanna Demafelis was returned to Manila [Getty]

Both suspects in a notorious murder case that led to a diplomatic crisis between Kuwait and the Philippines have been arrested, Lebanon's judiciary announced on Saturday. 

The employers of a Filipina maid - whose body was found in a freezer at a Kuwait apartment earlier this month - had been on the run, with a manhunt launched to find the husband and wife suspects.

The husband, a Lebanese man, was arrested in Syria and handed over to Beirut on Friday. His wife, a Syrian national, remains in custody in Damascus, a Lebanese judiciary source told AFP on Saturday.

"The couple were arrested in Damascus. They were the subject of an Interpol red notice and the Syrian authorities handed the husband over to Lebanese custody on Friday morning," the official said.

"Syria kept custody of the wife because she is a Syrian national."

Lebanon has asked Kuwait to pass on the husband's criminal record, the agency reported. The couple stopped off in Lebanon before fleeing to Syria.

The two suspects were the employers of murdered Filipina domestic worker Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found in their abandoned apartment by Kuwait police.

The corpse allegedly showed signs of torture and had been stored in the freezer for many months.

Her murder led to an angry response from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte who imposed a departure ban on Filipinas travelling to Kuwait.

Kuwait has been eager to end the rift and has invited Philippines government officials for talks on employment reforms for Filipina workers.

The Philippines' foreign ministry confirmed the second arrest in a statement late Saturday.

"With the two suspects now in custody, (Philippine authorities) will follow President Duterte's instructions to vigorously pursue justice for Demafelis," foreign affairs secretary Alan Cayetano said.