Stay of execution for Kho Jabing

Lawyer files 11th hour application in case as Sarawakian was scheduled for hanging Friday.

SINGAPORE: Malaysian Jabing Kho’s death sentence was stayed tonight, according to a spokesman of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

She said the appeal hearing for the Sarawakan was at 9am tomorrow, at the Court of Appeal.

Kho’s lawyer, Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss had succesfully filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal by order of the High Court.

Earlier, 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 11 tonight to make an appeal against the dismissal, thus prompting the postponement of the execution.

Earlier today, the Court of Appeal dismissed Kho’s application to escape the death sentence scheduled for tomorrow.

Another lawyer appearing for Kho, Gino Hardial Singh filed an application, challenging the court’s judgment on grounds of apparent bias as Court of Appeal judge Andrew Phang had sat on both of Jabing’s appeal hearings.

Phang sat in a coram involving Jabing’s case in 2010, and again in 2013.

The proceeding was held in front of Judges of Appeal Chao Hick Tin and Phang, and justices Woo Bih Li, Lee Seiu Kin and Chan Seng Onn.

Kho’s family received a letter from the Singapore Prison Service last week, stating that he would be executed tomorrow.

Kho, 31, 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 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.

Kho and fellow Sarawakian Galing Anak Kujat had reportedly killed construction worker Cao Ruyin during a robbery attempt in Geylang Drive.

– BERNAMA