Death sentence remotely delivered in Singapore

Singapore has sentenced a convicted drug trafficker to death, using the popular video chat app Zoom because of the city-state’s coronavirus lockdown.

Defense lawyer Peter Fernando said the Supreme Court announced the penalty to his client, Punithan Genasan, in a virtual hearing on Friday.

Genasan was in jail, while Fernando and prosecutors participated in the hearing from different locations.

It is believed to be the first time the death sentence was delivered remotely in Singapore, which has imposed social-distancing measures it calls a “circuit breaker.”

The Supreme Court ruled that the 37-year-old Malaysian was the mastermind of drug trafficking activity in 2011.

“This has been the arrangement made by the court under Singapore’s ‘circuit breaker’ measures, with essential hearings conducted via Zoom. We have no complaints,” Fernando said yesterday.

He said he will meet Genasan tomorrow to discuss an appeal.