StanChart robber David Roach's caning sentence set aside to fulfil assurance given to UK

SINGAPORE 一 Standard Chartered Bank robber David James Roach has had his caning sentence set aside to fulfil the assurance given by Singapore to the UK in his extradition proceedings.

No alternative punishment will be imposed on Roach in lieu of caning, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Sunday (July 25).

The Canadian national, now 31, fled Singapore for Thailand after robbing a Standard Chartered branch in Holland Village of S$30,450 on July 7, 2016.

He was detained in Thailand and deported to Canada in 2018, but was held by British police while in transit after Singapore put in an arrest request.

As part of the extradition proceedings, the Singapore Government undertook to UK authorities that no corporal punishment would be carried out on Roach.

On July 7 this year, Roach was sentenced to five years' jail and six strokes of the cane in Singapore.

President Halimah Yacob, on the advice of the Cabinet, exercised her powers under the Constitution to remit Roach's caning sentence, MHA said on Sunday.

"The Singapore Government has thus fulfilled the assurance given to the UK Government," the ministry said in a news release.

The ministry also said that this assurance to the UK was necessary as the country would otherwise not have permitted the extradition.

"Extraditing Roach to Singapore to face justice for his crimes was our top priority," said MHA.

"The Singapore Government will do whatever is necessary and permissible within our legal framework to seek justice against those who commit crimes in Singapore, regardless of nationality and where they may have fled to." CNA

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