Deportation appeals by prisoners denied

Press, 30 November 1982, Page 14

Deportation appeals by prisoners denied

PA Wellington Three Singaporeans who were imprisoned for drug offences in New Zealand have failed in an appeal to quash deportation orders. The appeals were dismissed in spite of submissions by defence counsel that the men would be in jeopardy if they returned to Singapore. Counsel said the men risked being sentenced to death and the possibility of detention without trial. The Deportation Review Tribunal, in a written decision, has said it was satisfied with assurances received from the Singaporean authorities that the men were not at risk of being retried or detained on the same offences on their return to Singapore. However, the tribunal recommended that before implementing deportation orders, the Minister of Immigration, Mr Malcolm,, should seek further assurances from

the Singaporean authorities that those given in writing earlier still stood. The men are Baharuddin Bin Mamud, aged 29, convicted in the Supreme Court at Auckland on November 28, 1977, on a charge of importing heroin (70 grams), and sentenced to a term of 10 years imprisonment by Mr Justice McMullin; and Abdul Rahman Ahmad, aged 30, convicted on October 26, 1978, in the High Court at Auckland; with Mohammed Ramli Mahmod, aged 35, on a charge of importing heroin (about 123 grams pure heroin between them) and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. It is unclear when the three men will be deported. A spokesman for the Justice Department said that normally such deportation orders would take effect at the end of the jail term but there was provision in the Justice Act for parole for deportation.