Singapore — The appeal of Omar Yacob Bamadhaj, 41, against his conviction and death sentence for drug trafficking was dismissed by the Apex Court on Tuesday (Oct 12).
Bamadhaj, a Singaporean, was caught bringing in one kilo of cannabis into Singapore from Malaysia in 2018.
He was stopped at the border for a routine check on Jul 12, 2018, where police found three bundles of cannabis in the boot of his car.
His father, who was not charged over the incident, was driving the vehicle and was unaware of the presence of the cannabis.
At that time, Bamadhaj told police officers that the bundles were “plants for herbs” that had been placed in his bag by two acquaintances, known as Din and Latif, without his knowledge, CNA reported.
However, according to the prosecution, he had ordered the Class A drugs and had deliberately brought them into Singapore.
But Bamadhaj’s lawyer, Hassan Esa Almenoar, claims that there is reasonable doubt concerning his client’s intent to bring the drugs into Singapore, saying it is “difficult to conclude that he planned all this”.
Moreover, Bamadhaj also claims that he had been “coerced” into admission of guilt by officers of the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), one of whom allegedly threw a pen at him and told him, If you refuse to admit to this, I will throw both you and your father to be hanged”.
Bamadhaj’s account of his arrest underwent some changes.
On the day he was arrested, he said Din and Latif offered him S$500 per bundle of cannabis brought into Singapore, and that because he was “desperate for money,” he overcame his initial hesitation and agreed to the deal.
Later, he changed his story to say that the two acquaintances put the bundles into his bag without his knowledge and that his “mind went blank” when the bundles were found by border officers.
In denying the appeal, the court said it was satisfied with how the trial judge examined Bamadhaj’s case.
The decision to proceed with the death penalty for Bamadhaj has been condemned by human rights group Amnesty International (AI) as a “callous decision.”
AI’s death penalty advisor, Chiara Sangiorgio, said “By dismissing Omar Yacob Bamadhaj’s appeal, the Singapore authorities have violated international safeguards and sentenced yet another person convicted of drug trafficking to death by hanging.
Singapore’s heavy reliance on draconian laws and policies have not only failed to tackle the use and availability of drugs, they also give zero effective protection from drug-related harm and instead facilitate a raft of human rights violations,” she added. /TISG
Read also: Woman to donate gold necklace to temple after husband receives death penalty reprieve
Australia won’t extradite S’pore-born murder suspect if death penalty awaits him
.