Kunkka
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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sin...56?cid=internal_sharetool_iphone_15082025_cna
SINGAPORE: A convicted drug trafficker was spared the death penalty and given life imprisonment on Thursday (Aug 14) after he was granted a pardon by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Tristan Tan Yi Rui, 33, was sentenced to death in 2023 after he was found guilty of possessing not less than 337.6g of methamphetamine for trafficking. His conviction and capital sentence were upheld by the Court of Appeal.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday that President Tharman had granted the pardon on the advice of the Cabinet.
In 1998, the late President Ong Teng Cheong commuted the death sentence of convicted murderer Mathavakannan Kalimuthu to life imprisonment. He was eventually released in 2012 after spending about 16 years in prison.
In 2018, in a case of clemency not involving a death row inmate, then President Halimah Yacob granted clemency to a man who was a teenager when he murdered the wife of Anthony Ler, who had himself plotted the crime. Ler was sentenced to death.
His accomplice was spared the gallows because of his age and was eventually released after being detained under what is known as the President’s pleasure for 17 years.
Justice Abdullah noted that while the prosecution did not show that Tan intended to traffic the drugs, the defence also failed to rebut the presumption of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
“The defence essentially relied on the argument that the accused had not intended to possess the drugs in the first place and had not known that the bundle contained methamphetamine, even if Hakam had indeed passed the bundle to him,” he said.
But as evidence showed that Tan had negotiated for the purchase of the drugs from Hari and had intended to and had in fact taken possession of the drugs at the Lok Yang area, it meant that the defence’s argument could not stand.
“The result was that the presumption applied, and thus the element of possession for the purpose of trafficking was made out,” Justice Abdullah said.
He found Tan’s role went beyond that of a courier, noting he had negotiated the purchase and handover of the drugs.
As Tan was not eligible for the alternative sentencing regime, which allows certain death-eligible drug offenders to be sentenced to life imprisonment and caning instead of the mandatory death penalty, and the amount of methamphetamine exceeded 250g, Justice Abdullah sentenced Tan to death.
Sg not escaping the stereotype
SINGAPORE: A convicted drug trafficker was spared the death penalty and given life imprisonment on Thursday (Aug 14) after he was granted a pardon by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Tristan Tan Yi Rui, 33, was sentenced to death in 2023 after he was found guilty of possessing not less than 337.6g of methamphetamine for trafficking. His conviction and capital sentence were upheld by the Court of Appeal.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday that President Tharman had granted the pardon on the advice of the Cabinet.
In 1998, the late President Ong Teng Cheong commuted the death sentence of convicted murderer Mathavakannan Kalimuthu to life imprisonment. He was eventually released in 2012 after spending about 16 years in prison.
In 2018, in a case of clemency not involving a death row inmate, then President Halimah Yacob granted clemency to a man who was a teenager when he murdered the wife of Anthony Ler, who had himself plotted the crime. Ler was sentenced to death.
His accomplice was spared the gallows because of his age and was eventually released after being detained under what is known as the President’s pleasure for 17 years.
Justice Abdullah noted that while the prosecution did not show that Tan intended to traffic the drugs, the defence also failed to rebut the presumption of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
“The defence essentially relied on the argument that the accused had not intended to possess the drugs in the first place and had not known that the bundle contained methamphetamine, even if Hakam had indeed passed the bundle to him,” he said.
But as evidence showed that Tan had negotiated for the purchase of the drugs from Hari and had intended to and had in fact taken possession of the drugs at the Lok Yang area, it meant that the defence’s argument could not stand.
“The result was that the presumption applied, and thus the element of possession for the purpose of trafficking was made out,” Justice Abdullah said.
He found Tan’s role went beyond that of a courier, noting he had negotiated the purchase and handover of the drugs.
As Tan was not eligible for the alternative sentencing regime, which allows certain death-eligible drug offenders to be sentenced to life imprisonment and caning instead of the mandatory death penalty, and the amount of methamphetamine exceeded 250g, Justice Abdullah sentenced Tan to death.
Sg not escaping the stereotype
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