While still in the midst of raising funds to pay thousands of dollars in costs in connection with death row penalty cases, lawyer Ravi M Ravi, along with an associate, was ordered by the High Court to pay an additional $20,000 to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
High Court judge Valerie Thean said in a judgment released on Thursday (June 23) that Mr Ravi and Cheng Kim Kuan, his supervising solicitor, are liable to pay the costs of a failed application by 17 death row inmates who alleged ethnic bias.
The inmates, represented by Mr Ravi, had all been sentenced to death for drug trafficking or drug importation offences. They had utilised statistical evidence in their application to claim that as Malays, in comparison to other ethnicities, the inmates were more likely to be investigated, prosecuted and given the death penalty for drug offences.
Justice Thean dismissed the application last December, calling it an abuse of process.
The two lawyers must pay the additional cost order of $20,000 by July 11.
Activist Kirsten Han, who helped Mr Ravi with his crowdfunding efforts to raise the money he was ordered to pay last May, wrote in a Facebook post on Monday (June 27) that the lawyer “is being made to pay huge amounts of money to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for fighting tooth-and-nail for death row prisoners.”
Ms Han added that thanks to those who have supported the crowdfunding, Mr Ravi has already been able to pay $30,000 to the AGC, which breaks down to $10,000 for an application relating to the disproportionate representation of Malays on death row in Singapore and $20,000 for applications filed in relation to the case of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, which drew international attention last year.
“Heavy price to pay for trying to save lives in Singapore,” Mr Ravi wrote in a Facebook post on June 7, as he posted a photo of a check for $20,000 he had just handed over to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
And while Mr Ravi was still in the middle of raising another $12,000 he needed for applications filed in relation to three other prisoners on death row when the additional cost order of $20,000 was given.
The lawyer had written on June 17 that he had raised nearly half of the $12,000 and that he was “Hoping to get over this final hurdle soon.”
Ms Han provided the details for how those who would like to support Mr Ravi’s crowdfunding may help:
BANK DETAILS
POSB Savings
Account Name: Ravi Madasamy
Account Number: 308020177
Please add “SOLIDARITY” in the reference so Ravi will know what the money is for!
You can also PayNow to Ravi at this number: +65 9353 1866
If you don’t use bank transfer or PayNow, you can contribute here: https://ko-fi.com/mravi
/TISG
Crowdfunding launched for Nagaenthran’s lawyers M Ravi & Violet Netto: $8,427 raised so far