‘In the coming days, Singapore may kill an innocent man’ — Richard Branson on upcoming execution of Tangaraju Suppiah

SINGAPORE: Billionaire businessman Richard Branson has again weighed in on a death penalty case in Singapore, that of Tangaraju Suppiah, who is scheduled for judicial execution on Wednesday (Apr 26).

Local activists have sent clemency appeals to Istana, urging President Halimah to spare Tangaraju’s life. And as he did in the 2021 high-profile case of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, Mr Branson has also joined the chorus of voices condemning the execution.

“In the coming days, Singapore may kill an innocent man. The case is particularly shocking, given the defendant was not anywhere near the drugs in question at the time of his arrest,” he tweeted on Monday (Apr 24), adding, “Singapore is such a wonderful country, so it’s sad to see some of its social policies harking back to colonisim, and reminiscient of medieval times.”

Tangaraju was convicted of abetting an attempt to traffic 1kg of cannabis he never touched and has maintained his innocence for the past eight years. His family has publicly appealed for clemency.

In 2017, he was charged and convicted of conspiracy to traffic drugs, based on findings that he owned two phone numbers that were used to contact another drug trafficker.

Tangaraju has also denied the prosecution’s claim that he was the intended recipient of the drugs. Furthermore, he claims he was interrogated without a lawyer present and that he asked for, and was denied, a Tamil interpreter during the interrogation.

On his website, Mr Branson wrote, “Tangaraju was actually not anywhere near these drugs at the time of his arrest. This was largely a circumstantial case that relied on inferences. Investigators and prosecutors acted on the fact that his mobile numbers were stored on the actual drug traffickers’ phone, interpreting phone records and text messages as ‘proof’ of his involvement.

Tangaraju’s alleged co-conspirator – who was actually caught in possession of the drugs – pleaded guilty to a non-capital offence. The other three people connected to the case were ‘discharged not amounting to an acquittal’ by the prosecution. Tangaraju himself has maintained his innocence from the very beginning of his ordeal.” /TISG

Even those who agree with the death penalty should worry about Tangaraju Suppiah’s looming execution: Activist