Singaporean duo accused of illegally selling US equipment to be extradited
by Neo Chai Chin Updated 02:50 PM Nov 09, 2012
SINGAPORE - Two Singaporeans accused by the United States government of illegally selling US-made radio components to Iran have lost their appeal against extradition to the US.
Lim Kow Seng, 43, and Hia Soo Gan Benson, 45, are alleged to have been part of a conspiracy to have controlled materials exported without a licence from the US or Singapore governments.
Delivering the judgment of the Court of Appeal this morning, Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin said there was no further appeal under section 422 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010. Together with Judge of Appeal V K Rajah and Justice Tay Yong Kwang, Justice Chao disagreed that questions of law raised under s397(1) of the CPC 2010 by Lim and Hia's lawyers were a matter of public interest or material to the outcome.
Both men could now be extradited after a period of 15 days. Their relatives in court were teary-eyed after the judgment and allowed some time to speak to the men.
Lim and Hia were among four Singaporeans arrested last October on charges of illegally exporting US-made radio equipment and conspiring to evade a US trade embargo against Iran. Two of them, Wong Yuh Lan and Lim Yong Nam, were released in August after succeeding in their High Court appeal.
