Oct. 26
GHANA:
Death penalty sentence should be maintained - Kofi Bentil
Policy Think Tank, IMANI Ghana says it is opposed to calls for the death
penalty to be abolished.
Even though Ghana has not recorded any incidence of execution by death penalty
since 1993, the number of death sentences has increased from 9 in 2014 to 18 in
2015.
As of December 31 last year, there were 137 people, including 3 women, on the
death row in Ghana, 7 of whom are foreign nationals.
Amnesty International, Ghana has described the situation as worrying and has
called on the state to take appropriate steps to expunge the death sentence
through a referendum.
But speaking at a debate organised by the Ghana Growth and Development Platform
(GGDP) with support from Citi FM on the election of MMDCEs and the abolition of
the death penalty, the Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Kofi Bentil, said it will
be a wrong move for government to abolish the death penalty.
"As a principle we [IMANI Ghana] do not think that abolishing the death penalty
is a good thing."
Mr. Bentil believes "not every member of the society deserves to be around."
"When they have crossed a certain line and they cannot be of use to the society
but are likely to constitute a terrible blight on society then under the
principle of the social contract and in the interest of everybody else it may
be better for us to take them out of society."
He also emphasized the need for society to draw the lines between what
constitutes a crime that requires a death penalty sentence.
(source: ghanaweb.com)
MALAYSIA:
Appeals Court upholds death sentence on Thai woman
The Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence on a Thai woman who was
convicted of trafficking cocaine in 80 capsules by swallowing and inserting
them into her private part.
In dismissing Chonmanee Laphathanawat???s appeal against her conviction and
death penalty, Justice Datuk Wira Mohtarudin Baki, who led a 3-man panel, ruled
that evidence against her was strong and overwhelming.
"The court find that your appeal did not have merits. Your conviction is safe.
Conviction and death sentence is affirmed," he said.
Chonmanee, 31, from Thai province of Rayong, was found guilty and sentenced to
death by the Penang High Court last year for trafficking in 689.10 grammes of
cocaine at the Penang General Hospital between Feb 13, 2013 and Feb 16, 2013.
According to the facts of the case, Chonmanee was arrested at the Penang
International Airport at 5.10pm on Feb 13, 2013 after she was spotted behaving
suspiciously at the arrival hall. She had flown to Singapore via Barcelona and
on arrival in Singapore, took a flight to Penang where she was arrested.
Chonmanee looked uneasy and was seen walking slowly as if she was holding back
something. She was then sent to the Penang Hospital for an examination when she
told them she had "consumed something".
78 oval-shaped pieces wrapped in plastic were recovered from her excrement over
4 days and another 2 capsules, from her private part.
In her defence, Chonmanee told the High Court that she accepted an offer by her
friend named Bord to collect diamonds from Brazil to be brought to Thailand and
was promised payment of 70,000 Thai Baht.
She said in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Bord's friend and another man came to a house
where she was placed and they blindfolded and forced her to swallow round
shaped objects and all the objects over 4 hours after she was threatened that
she would be killed if she did not comply.
She said she was then given 4 pills to swallow and felt drowsy and fell asleep
and when she gained consciousness, the 2 men proceeded to insert something in
her private part. She said she was told by a dark-skinned man that the round
objects which she had swallowed were diamonds.
Chonmanee was represented by lawyer Mohd Ismail Mohamad while deputy public
prosecutor Hanim Mohd Rashid appeared for the prosecution.
(source: themalaymailonline.com)
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