[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Dec. 4



SINGAPORE:

Kovan murders: Iskandar Rahmat found guilty of murder, sentenced to death


Former cop Iskandar Rahmat was sentenced to death today (Dec 4) for committing 
the Kovan double murder that shocked the nation more than 2 years ago.

Iskandar, 36, was convicted under Section 300(a), which entails the mandatory 
death penalty upon conviction, for killing car workshop owner Tan Boon Sin, 67 
and his son Chee Heong, 42, at their home in 14J Hillside Drive on July 10, 
2013.

He fled to Johor Bahru that night but was arrested at a popular eatery there 2 
days later and extradited back to Singapore.

Delivering his verdict to a packed courtroom in the Supreme Court, Justice Tay 
Yong Kwang said Iskandar's claim of a grab-and-flee plan had involved many 
contingencies that only a "foolish thief" would carry out.

He also noted the "golden opportunities" where Iskandar could have grabbed the 
bag of money and fled. Justice Tay said it was unbelievable that Iskandar chose 
to step out to smoke for 5 minutes instead of looking for a moment to grab the 
bag.

Justice Tay also pointed out that Iskandar's claim of self-defence was not 
applicable as he did not believe the elder Tan had attacked Iskandar first.

Over a nine-day trial that started in October, the prosecution told the court 
that Iskandar had eyed the elder Tan's money to clear a S$60,000 bank debt, 
which could avert a possible sacking from the police force. As part of the 
planned robbery, Iskandar had plunged a knife into Tan Boon Sin's neck and face 
repeatedly and launched a similar assault on the victim's son before reversing 
the getaway car into the young man.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lau Wing Yum had put up a case that the 14-year 
veteran in the police force had intended to cause death based on the sheer 
number of injuries sustained by both victims, along with the nature and 
location of their wounds, among other things.

Defence lawyers Mr Shashi Nathan, Mr Rajan Subramaniam and Ms N Sudha Nair 
argued that Iskandar's grab-and-flee robbery plan went awry and he did not 
intend to kill the 2 victims.

His lawyers also argued that Iskandar's actions were committed in self-defence 
after he claimed that the elder Tan had attacked him with a knife in hand while 
the younger victim charged at him.

Mr Nathan had asked the court to convict Iskandar under Section 300(c) of the 
Penal Code instead, where murder is committed with the intention of causing 
injury sufficient "in the ordinary cause of nature" to cause death. This gives 
the court the discretion to sentence the accused to life imprisonment and 
caning.

(source: todayonline.com)