SINGAPORE: Sarawakian Jabing Kho today failed to secure a stay of his death sentence execution after the Singapore Court of Appeal turned down his last minute appeal.
The more than three-hour proceeding was held in front of Judges of Appeal Chao Hick Tin and Andrew Phang, and justices Woo Bih Li, Lee Seiu Kin and Chan Seng Onn.
The judgement read by Chao said that the counsel brought the same argument and the substance of the argument was the same.
“No real issues were raised,” said the judge.
Jabing’s death execution was supposed to be done today but his counsel managed to grant an interim stay of execution.
His lawyer, Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss had successfully filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal by order of the High Court late last night.
Chong had urgently filed an originating summons to the High Court to secure a stay of execution but it was dismissed by Judicial Commissioner Kannan Ramesh.
She was given till 11pm Thursday to make an appeal against the dismissal, thus prompting the postponement of the execution.
Jabing was today represented by Counsel Alfred Dodwell.
His family received a letter from the Singapore Prison Service last week, stating that he would be executed today.
Jabing, 31, from Sarawak, was sentenced to hang six years ago for killing a man in a robbery attempt but succesfully made an appeal in 2013, following amendments to Singapore’s mandatory death penalty law.
Following that, he was re-sentenced to life imprisonment with 24 strokes of the cane.
However, the prosecution appealed, urging the Court of Appeal to reverse the re-sentencing of the judge’s decision and sent Kho to face the hangman’s noose on April 5, 2016. In November 2015, his lawyer launched a criminal motion to reduce his sentence and was granted a stay on his sentence for the lawyer to prepare his case again.
Jabing and fellow Sarawakian Galing Kujat had reportedly killed construction worker Cao Ruyin during a robbery attempt in Geylang Drive.
Jabing’s mother and sister were present at the court. -- Bernama