“I want my son’s name back,” Mr Mourthi Vasu said. “And I want my son back. Can they give me my son? Can they give me? Cannot.”
Mr Mourthi is asking for an apology from the Singapore government for the execution of his then 23-year old son, Vignes Mourthi. Vignes was hanged in Singapore in September 2003 after having been found guilty of trafficking in 27.65g of heroin. Vignes had always maintained his innocence till the day he died.
Mr Mourthi’s demand for an apology comes after he learned of the circumstances which led to the conviction of his son involving police officer Sergeant Rajkumar.
Rajkumar, who was the officer in charge of the sting operation which led to the arrest of Vignes outside the An Nur Mosque in Woodlands, was also the key prosecution witness during the trial proceedings.
What angers Mr Mourthi and his family is that Rajkumar, while giving testimony during the trial as the prosecution’s key witness, was himself also being investigated for rape, sodomy and bribery by the authorities. Neither Vignes’s lawyer nor his family knew about this at that time. Rajkumar’s testimony against Vignes was believed to have largely contributed to the conviction of Vignes.
After Vignes’s execution, Rajkumar was found guilty of bribery in a later trial and was sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Giving support to Mr Mourthi on Tuesday were members of Lawyers For Liberty (LFL), a human rights and law reform initiative in Malaysia and members of the Civil Rights Committee of Kuala Lumpur and the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. Mr N Surendran, a lawyer with LFL, presented a memorandum of protest to a representative of the Singapore High Commission.
“We now know the key witness in Vignes’s trial was himself being investigated for rape, sodomy and later convicted of corruption,” Mr Surendran said.
LFL’s memorandum also highlighted the reported remarks made by then-Chief Justice Yong Pung How in the appeal hearings. “When asked by lawyer M Ravi whether the innocent Vignes can be hanged due to merely procedural matters,” the LFL’s memorandum says, “the Chief Justice replied, ‘Yes, the answer is yes.’”
“Here you have an appalling instance of a miscarriage of justice,” Mr Surendran told the media. “Vignes Mourthi was innocent,” he added.
In its memorandum of protest, LFL calls for the Singapore government to “[acknowledge] the enormous miscarriage of justice that happened in Vignes’ case” and demand the Singapore government “make amends” to Vignes’s family. The lawyers call for “immediate reforms in the Singapore judiciary to ensure Singaporean judges appreciate and respect human life and freedom; take appropriate action according to the Constitution against Chief Justice Yong Pung How; halt all pending executions in Singapore and commute death sentences to imprisonment” and to “cease immediately the malicious persecution of British author Alan Shadrake.”
Mr Shadrake is the author of Once A Jolly Hangman, a book about the death penalty in Singapore. The book includes a chapter on the case of Vignes Mourthi. Mr Shadrake was arrested in July and has been charged with contempt of court. His hearing will take place on the 30th of August.
In the meantime, Mr Mourthi says he will appoint a lawyer to seek redress for his son.
“I know he is innocent,” Mr Mourthi said of his son. “I want to know what the Singapore government is going to do about this. I hope the truth will finally come out.”
————
Read also: Activists cry murder over Singapore hanging (Free Malaysia Today)
———–
TOC’s video report of Tuesday’s events at the Singapore High Commission;
———–
The Memorandum of Protest delivered to the Singapore High Commission:
MEMORANDUM OF PROTEST
Wrongful execution of M’sian Vignes Mourthi and malicious prosecution of Alan Shadrake
Vignes Mourthi
1. On 26 September 2003, Vignes Mourthi was hanged in Changi prison for alleged drug trafficking.
2. The key testimony on which he was convicted was the evidence of one Sgt Rajkumar who arrested Vignes.
3. Alan Shadrake in his book ” The Jolly Hangman” reveals the shocking truth about the trial and conviction of Vignes. At the time Sgt Rajkumar gave the sworn testimony in court which convicted Vignes, Rajkumar was under investigation for rape, sodomy and bribery! Subsequently he was convicted of corruption and sent to prison for 15 months. Vignes was hanged by the neck until he died on the testimony of this man.
4. In a breathtakingly malcious act, Singapore police and authorities concealed this crucial fact from Vignes’ lawyer M.Ravi. Vignes went to the gallows bitterly denying to the end that he had ever trafficked in drugs. He was only 21 years old when arrested.
5. The callousness and indifference to human life by the Singapore government and judiciary is shown by the now notorious remarks of Chief Justice Yong Pung How. When asked by lawyer M.Ravi whether the innocent Vignes can be hanged due to merely procedural matters, the Chief Justice replied ” Yes, the answer is yes.”
Alan Shadrake
1. On 19 July 2010, a day after Alan launched his book in Singapore, police arrested him for Criminal Defamation and Contempt of Court.
2. Alan was interrogated by police 8 to 10 hours a day despite a weak heart, and now faces trials which may may send him to prison for years. He remains resolute and has said ” I will not be cowed.” His only crime is revealing the truth to the people of Singapore and the world.
We the undersigned demand that the Singapore government:
a. acknowledges the enormous miscarriage of justice that happened in Vignes’ case;
b. clears the sullied name of Vignes Mourthi and make amends to his suffering family;
c. institute immediate reforms in the Singapore judiciary to ensure Singaporean judges appreciate and respect human life and freedom;
d. take appropriate action according to the Constitution against Chief Justice Yong Pung How ;
e. halt all pending executions in Singapore and commute death sentences to imprisonment;
f. cease immediately the malicious persecution of British author Alan Shadrake.
LAWYERS FOR LIBERTY
Civil Rights Committee KUALA LUMPUR AND SELANGOR CHINESE ASSEMBLY HALL
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
Dear Devagi
Your argument that judges should not play god misses the point. In Singapore we have the mandatory death penalty for specific offences. The laws that determine these punishment are enacted in Parliament and voted by MPs whom we put into power. We (you and I) take joint responsibility for the laws we have in Singapore today.
Once the law is enacted, the executive (cabinet) through its Ministers, will ensure that the various arms of the government will enforce the law. When someone is apprehended and put through the criminal justice system (made up of enforcement agencise, AG, prison etc) a decision is made whether prosecute or not. The AG has the ultimate authority in applying prosecutorial discretion and has done so many times (eg. Pastor Ronnie Tan was not charged for the slurs he made against other religions). When the AG decides to prosecute, the accused is given access to legal defence and the Criminal Procedure Code then defines the procedures that both parties must adhere to when bringing someone to trial.
In an open court, we would expect the judge to review the facts presented to him and apply the law fairly and with impartiality. This, in my humble view, assumes transparency of all facts pertinent to the case ESPECIALLY when we expect the judge to apply the mandatory death penalty. No one expects the judge to play god. We simply expect him to do what is within his constitutional powers and the oath he has taken in office. And if in his judgment the accused is guilty, the punishment as prescibed by law applies.
With Vignes Mourti my understanding of the facts are
a. he never admitted to carrying drugs nor signed any statements to that effect.
b. the judge relied on the words (translated) of the police officer to make his decision.
c. the AG’s office must have known at least from Feb 2003 onwards that the police officer’s credibility was tainted
d. the AG’s office made a decision not to inform anyone ie. there was no transparency, honesty, due process…
e. It took another 2 years before the police officer was brought to court and eventually sentenced for corruption. The reason for delay is unclear – one can only surmise….
Here’s my point.
I do not question the AG’s discretion to charge Vignes even after they knew that the arresting officer’s credibility was tainted. But surely they have a responsibility to ensure transparency of all pertinent facts ESPECIALLY given that they were prosecuting a drug case that carried the mandatory death penalty. It would have been the morally and ethically right thing to do.
It is NOT for the AG’s office to play god and decide what information gets shared and what does not. It is for the court of law, where all facts should be placed on the table and for the judge to determine, that it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of the offence as charged.
In sum, in the administration of justice, NOBODY should play god. Instead, we would and should expect that each and every individual is held to the highest ethical and moral standards to safeguard the rights of all individuals who are presented in a court of law so that they can receive a fair trial.
In my view Vignes was denied this opportunity because someone chose to play god. It was certainly not the judges.
We have every reason to fear the worst.
Are you an honest person.
My greetings to you,
I am contacting you based on trust and wish that you will give me back the trust I have given to you. I am not looking for anything else but for someone with the fear of God’ I am Mr Nasser Hanna Abboud, An old man with a long time brain cancer problem and Nationality of IRAQ. I and my family based in (Abidjan Ivory Coast),I was an Government Official and Independent Oil Marketer.
During one of the recent Bomb Explosion in BAGHDAD’ I and my family came for a Holiday in our country BAGHDAD IRAQ and my Residence and my Oil station was razed to Nothing leaving my wife and my only Son dead, my maid dead and (2) of my sales girls Deeply injured”’ I want to willed my money to charity organizations or any individual person that fear God with all his heart and do what is right to the people of God even if you are a Christian, Muslim or Jews. I want you to use this money to fund churches, Orphanages, Widows, and other things in the Ministries or House of God and to help the privileges and dose that are” in need of help in the world not to sit down in the money all alone.
As this moment I am in (Independent Hospital London England), Where I have gone for a major operation for the Bomb Explosion problem that I have and it has defiled all forms of medical treatment, and right now I have only about a few months to live, according to medical experts. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone(not even myself) but my business.
Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focused on my business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world.
I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it, Also, the propagation of the work of God, building and maintaining the house of God through this money, is very important.,I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bossom of the Lord. as Exodus 14 VS 14 says that the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace.
I have willed and given most of my property and assets to my immediate and extended family members as well as a few close friends. I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul so, I have decided to give also to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth. So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in the U.A.E, Algeria and Malaysia.
Now that my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this myself anymore. I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and distribute the money which I have there to charity organization in Bulgaria and Pakistan, they refused and kept the money to themselves.
Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contended with what I have left for them and to help me do what the God asked me to do.
The last
of my money which no one knows of is the huge cash deposit (Nine Hundred And Seventy Five Thousand British Pounds £975,000) that I have with a Financial Office of (Abidjan Ivory Coast). If you will do all I have state in my letter that you will use the money for the work of God as I said and I will give the informations of the Financial Office for you to get intouch with them so that the money can be transfer to you for dispatched it to charity organizations and help the Ministries God as i have said.
Note that everything concerning this transaction shall be LEGALLY done without hitch,Please endeavour to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue,as i hope that you are a sincere,honest,matured person and above all TRUSTWORTHY. and please if you are not interested delete this letter and do give this proposal SERIOUS AND POSITIVE CONSIDERATION.Your earliest response to this letter will be highly appreciated due to my cancer problem and any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing for a church or individual person Christian or Muslim for this same purpose. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Remain blessed in the name of the Lord.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Nasser Hanna Abboud.
Dear Nasser Hanna Abboud
Are you really an honest person? I have received emails from you before and I also know of people whom you have cheated before. You should stop targeting innocent people. Stay out of Online Citizen which is a respectable website.
You are a liar and a cheat.
Mr Nasser Hanna Abboud.
I am a representative from the nether world a place call HELL. My job is to punish evil people. Very soon I will see you in HELL and you will be burn in hell eternally.
This post has been somewhat of a revelation to me.
Superb blog you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any message boards that cover the same topics talked about here? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get responses from other experienced people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Thanks!
Interesting site for those that hate to do homework.