Man Caged For Killing After Typo Kept Him Free For 30yrs

A 61-year-old grandfather has been jailed for killing his boss over 30 years ago after dodging arrest for three decades because authorities had misspelled his name on the warrant.

According to local media, Malaysian labourer Arumugam Veerasamy killed his boss, also from Malaysia, in the island city-state of Singapore back in 1986 during a row over unpaid wages.

However, as his name had been misspelled on his Singapore work permit, the arrest warrant issued 33 years ago also had his name written incorrectly.

Due to advancements in technology, Veerasamy was linked to the crime in 2006 through fingerprints found on a beer bottle at the murder scene.

He was finally arrested in 2016 when crossing into Singapore from Malaysia.

The 61-year-old has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison by a Singapore court after pleading guilty to culpable homicide, according to reports.

The court heard how he repeatedly hit his boss, 43-year-old Muthiah Kutha Lingam, over the head with a hammer.

The then 28-year-old labourer met the victim for beers to discuss a payment issue and lashed out at him when he discovered he would have to wait longer for his money.

After leaving the victim on the ground, Veerasamy crossed the Johor-Singapore Causeway into his native Malaysia and avoided arrest for 30 years.

However, he claimed that he was unaware that his former boss had died back in 1986 and that he was wanted by the Singaporean authorities, according to his defence lawyer Siraj Shaik Aziz.


To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Lee BullenSub-EditorJoseph Golder,  Agency: Asia Wire Report


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