Two men are expected to be executed for drug trafficking in Singapore on July 7, 2022.
They are Norasharee Bin Gous, 48, and Kalwant Singh a/l Jogindar Singh, 32, according to Singaporean activists Kirsten Han and Kokila Annamalai on 30 June.
The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) issued a statement on July 5 confirming the execution date of July 7 for the two individuals.
CNB stated that Kalwant has submitted a new application after he was notified of the execution date, and the court is presently reviewing the case.
Annamalai stated on July 6 that Kalwant has submitted an application for a stay of execution, requested a rehearing of his criminal appeal, and plans to plead his case personally.
At 3 p.m. on July 6 at the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong, and Justice Tay Yong Kwang will hear the case.
A Singaporean and Malaysian
Both men were on trial with the 45-year-old co-accused Mohamad Yazid bin Md Yusof.
Yazid gave testimony against the two.
According to court papers, his comments comprised a substantial portion of the prosecution's case against Norasharee and Kalwant.
All of the defendants were found guilty in the High Court following a trial including multiple offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Background
Norasharee commanded Yazid Yazid testified that he acted on the orders of "Boy Ayie," who was eventually identified as Norasharee.
Norasharee would order Yazid to accept the drugs from the Malaysian sender and store them until he was informed of the recipients' identities.
Norasharee would pay Yazid for delivering the drugs to certain recipients. Yazid would be compensated for his efforts.
Yazid and Kalwant met in the area of the VivoCity retail mall on October 23, 2013, the day before their arrest.
Yazid reported that Norasharee told him on October 24, 2013 that there will be a shipment of narcotics from Malaysia the following day and asked him to collect certain packages from a Malaysian courier named Kalwant.
24 October, 2013 Transaction
Yazid met Kalwant at a Woodlands multi-story parking garage on the morning of October 24, 2013.
This is where and when Central Narcotics Bureau investigators ambushed and captured the suspects, recovering nine packages wrapped in black tape.
Each of these bundles had two brown material packets.
Three of the nine packages containing a minimum of 60.15g of diamorphine were discovered in the haversack that Kalwant was carrying.
In addition, he placed the remaining six packages, containing a minimum of 120.90 grams of diamorphine, in the container box of Yazid's motorbike.
Norasharee was detained at his residence on July 1, 2015, almost 20 months after the transaction in 2013.
Charges
According to court papers, Yazid was found guilty of carrying at least 120.90 grams of diamorphine, better known as heroin, with the intent to distribute.
Norasharee's charges
Norasharee was found guilty of instigating Yazid to traffic at least 120.90 grams of heroin.
Kalwant's charges
Kalwant was found guilty of having at least 60.15 grams of heroin for the purpose of distribution.
He was also convicted of trafficking at least 120.90 grams of heroin.
In October 2016, both Norasharee and Kalwant were condemned to death, although Yazid was granted a certificate of substantial assistance and sentenced to life in prison with 15 canings instead.
Calls to halt the execution of Kalwant.
According to Han and Kokila, Singapore Prison Services contacted Kalwant's sister on June 30 and informed her that her brother was due to be hanged on July 7. On July 1, Han and Kokila verified Norasharee's upcoming hanging on Twitter.
His family is from the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia.
On June 9, 2022, his sister Sonia and niece Kellvina, whom he helped raise, visited him at Changi Prison in Singapore.
According to Malaysiakini, the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (Adpan) and Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) have urged the Singaporean government to postpone Kalwant's execution.
The Star reported LFL director Zaid Malek as saying, "We urgently encourage the Singaporean government to comply with international law and postpone the execution of Kalwant Singh, as well as reconsider the use of the death sentence for narcotics charges."
Zaid continued, "We also urge the Malaysian government to make immediate representations to Singapore to prevent the execution of our citizen."
The cases of Kalwant and Norasharee occur little over two months after the execution of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam on April 27, 2022.
In 2009, 34-year-old Malaysian Nagaenthran was convicted and sentenced to death for smuggling 42.72 grams of heroin.
On March 30, 2022, 68-year-old Abdul Kahar bin Othman was killed for two counts of heroin trafficking in Singapore totaling 66.77 grams.
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