should sg gov be made to pay for terrible mistakes of the law?

[leetahbar]

IN A dramatic twist yesterday, an odd-job labourer was released from prison after he was cleared of murdering an elderly housewife six years ago.

Mr Ismil Kadar - who spent six years in prison including two years on death row - was acquitted by the Court of Appeal, which issued a strongly worded judgment highlighting 'serious lapses' by police and prosecutors.

Describing the case as 'extraordinary', Justice V. K. Rajah said the 42-year-old's confessions were obtained 'in troubling circumstances' which appeared to be deliberate breaches in procedures rather than mere carelessness.

He added that investigators had been 'less than thorough' and said there was a 'startling lack of any objective evidence' that tied Mr Ismil to the crime.

Mr Ismil - who has an IQ of only 73 - had been in jail since May 2005, when he 'confessed' to murdering Madam Tham Weng Kuen, 69, in her Boon Lay flat. The IQ level of a normal person is between 90 and 110.

The housewife was stabbed and slashed 110 times in the brutal attack while her husband, who was bedridden from a stroke, was in the bedroom. He heard what was happening but could not do anything about it. Madam Tham's body was discovered a few hours later when their only child - a daughter - checked on them.

too bad this type of scenario happens in singapore. i doubt Ismil would end up being compensated minimally. if it were to be in the USA, we sure would get a millionaire simpleton in waiting!:*:

 

[leetahbar]

just like CHIA THYE POH who jailed for more than the life sentence of 20yrs and finally being released. was he being compensated? did the law find out what he was accused of? even if it was under ISD, there is still this unspoken LAW.

 

[leetahbar]

this beginning to make one wonder.....

suppose the victim of mishandled law is someone with certain repute or at least a higher IQ chap, would things be different, that is re-instatement and appropriate compensation fr gov be meted out for all these years of injustice inflicted on the incumbent?

i bet in USA, this would create uproar and we would ve a millionaire-in-waiting. :p

 

[leetahbar]

when we break the law, we kena hantam like anything without mercy. now the gun points back at the gov - they mishandle the law, then how? again, we kena hantam like anything??

i tot the law is fair and justice should be blind.

 

[cooleo]

 

[leetahbar]

thanks for additional info. see, u could be a very nice chap