Annie Ee case: ‘Avoid public pressure on judges’, Shanmugam says

SINGAPORE — The punishment meted out to a defendant in court must not depend on public reaction, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam wrote on Wednesday (Dec 20) in urging Singaporeans to avoid trying to influence the sentences imposed by judges.

In a Facebook post commenting on the death of waitress Annie Ee and the recent sentencing of the married couple who tortured the 26-year-old, Mr Shanmugam said he shared the public’s outrage but expressed misgivings over how some Singaporeans have reacted to the case.

He added that he was particularly troubled by the online comments of some netizens, including some who filed an online petition for a harsher sentence against the couple, and others who hounded the defence lawyer.

“I can understand the anger that many feel. At the same time, I am troubled by how some people have expressed their views,” the minister wrote. “We ought to be a civilised society, observing the rule of law, while expressing our unhappiness and moral outrage when seeing such conduct as in this case.”

Details of the suffering endured by Ee at the hands of her landlords Pua Hak Chuan, 38, and Tan Hui Zhen, 33, had sparked public outrage.

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

Pua and Tan were charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon. They were given jail sentences of 14 years and 16-and-a-half years respectively earlier this month.

Many Singaporeans who weighed in on the case commented online that the couple should have been charged with murder, and be given a harsher punishment.

This prompted a response from the Attorney-General’s Chambers on Monday (Dec 18), which pointed out that the evidence against Pua and Tan 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.

Mr Shanmugam struck a similar note on Wednesday, pointing out that Singapore has a well-functioning court system and that Singaporeans must have the confidence that “our judges will do the right thing”.

“And if the sentence does not appear right, the prosecution or defence can appeal,” he added.

The minister also took issue with criticisms of Mr Josephus Tan, Pua and Tan’s lawyer, who defended the couple on a pro bono basis.

“A lawyer taking on such a case is in an invidious position. He has to do his best for his client, and yet there will be a lot of public opprobrium, because of the nature of the offence,” Mr Shanmugam added.

“It will be a sad day for Singapore, if lawyers are going to be hounded in public, for standing up in court to argue on behalf of their clients.”