MHA responds to Branson’s call to halt Tangaraju’s execution, accusing him for “disrespect” for Singapore’s judges

On Monday (24 Apr), British tycoon Richard Branson urged Singapore to halt the imminent execution of Tangaraju Suppiah, a Singaporean who sentenced to death over one kilogram of cannabis, saying it “may be about to kill an innocent man”. “Tangaraju was actually not anywhere near these drugs at the time of his arrest. This was largely a circumstantial case that relied on inferences,” Branson, who is a member of the Geneva-based Global Commission on Drug Policy, wrote on his blog. “Killing those at the lowest rungs of the illicit drug supply chain… is hardly effective in curbing an international trade worth hundreds of billions every year,” he said, adding he hoped authorities would review the case. Tangaraju, aged 46, is set to be hanged on Wednesday (26 Apr), according to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) of Singapore. However, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) defended that the evidence clearly showed that Tangaraju was “coordinating the delivery of drugs for trafficking”, despite the suggestion that he was innocent because he was “not anywhere near the drugs at the time of his arrest”.

Branson urges Singapore to halt execution of cannabis convict

British tycoon Richard Branson has urged Singapore to halt the imminent execution of Tangaraju Suppiah, a man sentenced to death for “abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic” over one kilogram of cannabis. Mr Branson, a member of the Geneva-based Global Commission on Drug Policy, said Tangaraju’s case was largely circumstantial. The Asian financial hub has some of the world’s toughest anti-narcotics laws and insists the death penalty remains an effective deterrent against trafficking. “Killing those at the lowest rungs of the illicit drug supply chain… is hardly effective in curbing an international trade worth hundreds of billions every year,” Mr Branson said, adding he hoped authorities would review the case.

MHA accuses British billionaire of publicly peddling falsehoods about Singapore, after invitation for live debate with minister was rejected

Full response from Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs on 5 November 2022 to Sir…

British billionaire declines invitation for live debate; says brave thing for K Shanmugam to do is to engage Singaporean stakeholders

SINGAPORE — Sir Richard Branson has declined the open invitation by the…