SINGAPORE: Family and friends of Mr Tangaraju Suppiah, a Singaporean man who is set to be executed next Wednesday (April 26), will be holding a solidarity event this Sunday (April 23) to speak up about the alarming aspects of his case.
Mr Tangaraju was convicted of abetting an attempt to traffic 1kg of cannabis he never touched in 2017. He has maintained his innocence for the past eight years, to no avail.
The event this Sunday, open to the public, will highlight why Mr Tangaraju’s family does not believe his conviction and sentence were just and their struggle to save his life over the last nine years. The event will also feature family members of other death row prisoners who will speak out to support Mr Tangaraju and his family.
After the event, activists and attendees will write clemency letters and hand-deliver them to the Istana near the event location urging President Halimah Yacob to spare Tangaraju’s life.
Mr Tangaraju was charged and convicted of conspiracy to traffic drugs in 2017 based on the court’s finding that he owned two phone numbers that were used to contact the drug delivery person, even though he never handled the drugs himself.
Mr Tangaraju never touched the drugs he is set to be executed for and has denied the prosecution’s claim that he was the intended recipient of the drugs.
Mr Tangaraju has said that the police interrogated him without the presence of a lawyer, and his statement was used as evidence against him. He also told the court that he had asked for a Tamil interpreter during the interrogation, but this was denied.
He also claimed that he informed the inspector that he had lost his phone, which was not included in his statement. The inspector denied the claim.
The court found his intention to traffic based on the quantity of drugs found with the delivery person. Under Section 12 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, an attempt to traffic carries the same punishment as trafficking.
Mr Tangaraju continues to maintain his innocence. He filed a Criminal Motion on his own in December 2022, seeking permission to review the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold his conviction. The motion was dismissed on February 26th of this year.
Mr Tangaraju’s sister Leela was informed of her brother’s execution date by the prison authorities this week. She immediately rushed to visit her brother. Ms Leela, who has spent the last few years desperately seeking legal help for her brother, has appealed to the public to protest her brother’s execution.
Those who wish to support the desperate family’s fight may join the event this Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm at 10 Penang Road, #01-02. More information on the event may be found here.