Johannes van Damme
Johannes van Damme (1 June 1935 – 23 September 1994) was a Dutch engineer and businessman executed in Singapore for drug trafficking. He was the first European to be executed in Singapore since its independence.
Johannes van Damme | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 June 1935 Middelburg, the Netherlands |
| Died | 23 September 1994 (aged 59) Changi Prison, Changi, Singapore |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | Engineer, businessman |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Criminal charge | Drug trafficking |
| Penalty | Death penalty |
Biography
Van Damme had lived in Nigeria for a while and was married to a Nigerian woman at the time of his arrest. He was arrested on 27 September 1991, at Singapore Changi Airport. In a secret compartment of his trunk, 4.32 kilograms (9.5 lb) of heroin was found. Van Damme claimed he had been framed by his Nigerian engineer partner, but this claim was rejected by the court. In November 1993, his appeal was rejected, and the sentence was upheld. A plea for clemency from the Dutch government was rejected by the President of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong. A letter from Queen Beatrix was sent to the President in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Van Damme from being executed.[1]
He was hanged at Changi Prison on the morning of Friday, 23 September 1994, between 6:30 am and 7:00 am.[2] That same year, a man named Mat Repin was also executed by hanging on 13 May 1994 for having smuggled 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of cannabis from Malaysia.[3]
References
- Last-ditch appeals fail to save drugs man from gallows, The Herald, 23 September 1994
- "Singapore Executes a Dutch Engineer Arrested on Drug Charges". The New York Times. 24 September 1994. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- Amnesty International Report 1995 – Singapore
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