Singapore is set to hang a man, Tangaraju Suppiah, for trafficking cannabis, in the city-state’s latest controversial execution, the BBC reports.
Tangaraju, 46, was convicted of “abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic” over a delivery of 1kg (35oz) of cannabis from Malaysia to Singapore in 2013.
Though he was not caught during the delivery, prosecutors said he was responsible for coordinating it, and traced two phone numbers used by a deliveryman back to Tangaraju.
Tangaraju claimed he was not the person communicating with others connected to the case. He said he had lost one of the phones and denied owning the second one.
Singapore law mandates the death penalty for drug trafficking and has lesser penalties for couriers. In Tangaraju’s last appeal, the judge agreed with the prosecution that Tangaraju was responsible for coordinating the delivery, which made him ineligible for a more lenient sentence.
Activists have also raised concerns that Tangaraju was not given adequate access to an interpreter and had to argue his last appeal on his own since his family was unable to secure a lawyer. Adding that Tangaraju was convicted on weak evidence.
However, Authorities say he received due process, and have scheduled his execution for Wednesday, stating Tangaraju requested for an interpreter only during the trial, and not earlier and that he had access to legal counsel throughout the process.
It follows a high-profile execution last year of an intellectually impaired man over a drugs charge.
Singapore has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws, which it says are necessary to protect society.
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