SINGAPORE – The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has explained why a married couple was not charged with the murder of their tenant, whom they tortured for eight months till her death, in a case which recently sparked public outrage.

In a statement on Monday (Dec 18), the AGC acknowledged questions from the public as to why Pua Hak Chuan, 38, and Tan Hui Zhen, 33, were charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon.

But it pointed out that the evidence against the couple did not support the charges of murder and culpable homicide.

“It is the Prosecutor’s duty to only prefer a charge which is supported by evidence...the integrity of the legal system requires that all parties, including the accused, are treated fairly and that cases are prosecuted and decided strictly in accordance with the law and the evidence,” said the AGC.

Pua and Tan were given jail sentences of 14 years and 16-and-a-half years respectively earlier this month, more than two years after the lifeless body of their tenant, Annie Ee, was discovered on April 12, 2015.

Ee, 26, had borderline intelligence. Hours before she died, Pua and Tan had hit her with a roll of shrink wrap weighing about 1kg. Pua had also smashed a plastic dustbin on her, which cracked upon impact.

Prosecution papers earlier revealed that Ee had been beaten so badly that her skin and fat dissociated from the muscle layer and the fatty tissue below the skin broke down and went into her blood stream and lungs. This interfered with the oxygenation of blood in the lungs and led to cardiac and respiratory failure, which presented as panting.

The AGC pointed out on Monday that Ee died from acute fat embolism, based on the evidence of the forensic pathologist, and noted that it was “an unusual occurrence that would not have ordinarily resulted from the injuries inflicted by Pua and Tan”.

It added: “As Pua and Tan did not intend to cause Annie’s death, and the injuries they inflicted would not ordinarily cause death, the offences of murder and culpable homicide cannot be proved against them.

“The Prosecution therefore proceeded against both Pua and Tan with charges of voluntarily causing grievous hurt (which the law defines as including death) with a dangerous weapon. These charges reflect the most serious offences committed by the two accused, as supported by the evidence.”

Details of the case sparked public outrage, with many netizens expressing sympathies for Ee while others harshly criticised Pua and Tan.

A number of Singaporeans also complained that the couple had gotten away “lightly” and questioned why they were not charged with murder. The couple could face the death penalty if convicted of murder.

“Justice is not served. Their actions cost a life. It’s murder!” Facebook user Jennifer Low had said in a comment.

The period of appeal for Ee’s case has expired with no appeals filed, according to the AGC.

Noting that it understood the public reaction over the case, the AGC added that it was “critical that the public refrains from commenting on, or interfering with, pending proceedings or otherwise seek to influence their outcome”.