A man previously on Singapore’s death row for drug trafficking has had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment, after succeeding in his petition for clemency, according to local media reports.
Tristan Tan was sentenced to death in February 2023 for trafficking 337.6g of methamphetamine, with both his conviction and sentence later upheld by the Court of Appeal, The Straits Times reported.
The home affairs ministry, in response to queries, said president S Tharman granted a pardon to Tan on Aug 14, on the advice of the Cabinet.
The ministry noted that while the Cabinet was advised that the sentence imposed on Tan was legally sound, a recommendation was made to grant clemency to him because of the specific facts and circumstances of the case.
Tan was arrested during a Central Narcotics Bureau operation in 2018 that also led to the arrest of several others.
One of the individuals arrested during the same operation, who was tried separately on a capital charge, ultimately received a non-capital sentence.
“The Cabinet decided to advise the grant of clemency to Tan to reduce the disparity in their respective outcomes,” the home affairs ministry said, as quoted by ST.
It said that in cases involving death row prisoners, the death sentence may be commuted to imprisonment, a fine, or both.
