SINGAPORE: A man on trial for consuming drugs at a Sentosa hotel villa in 2023 said that he had no idea the drinks he had accepted from strangers during a party were spiked.
Dr Rayson Lee Rui Sheng, 35, testified on Monday (Jul 28) that it had not crossed his mind that drugs were involved in the birthday party that his partner had organised for a friend at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.
"This is not something that I could have prevented ... I would never have suspected there were drugs there. None of my friends talk about drugs, none of my friends do drugs," said Dr Lee.
Referring to Singapore's strict drug laws, he added: "Never in my mind would I have suspected that someone would have brought drugs to the party."
Dr Lee and a co-accused Tan Li Ming, 28, are each contesting a single charge of consuming MDMA, a controlled drug also known as "ecstasy", on or before Aug 9, 2023.
Both had attended the party between 8pm on Aug 8 and the early hours of Aug 9, 2023.
Urine samples from Dr Lee and Tan were analysed by the Health Sciences Authority and found to contain MDMA.
An image of an invitation to a party, believed to be organised via a closed chat group, and the suspected drug offenders being arrested on Aug 9, 2023 at a hotel located on Sentosa Island. (Photos: Central Narcotics Bureau)
On Monday, Dr Lee resumed the stand to give his testimony while Tan observed in the dock. Both are represented by lawyer Tania Chin.
Ms Chin took Dr Lee through the events that occurred from when he returned to the villa with his partner at about 2.45am on Aug 9, 2023, after briefly leaving for a club.
Upon his return, he found that the number of party-goers had increased, with many unfamiliar faces. He later learned that many of these were foreigners hailing from countries like Australia and the United States.
He commented to one of the party-goers, an Indonesian known as Richard, that the villa was "very crowded".
"I was wondering where all these additional people came from. He was equally puzzled," said Dr Lee, adding that he thought the party would have died down by then.
"I think it was a little bit odd when I asked them who invited them. I didn't even recognise the name of the person who called them as well, I thought it was a little bit odd that people were, like, calling without seeking permissions or something," he said.
Richard then shared with Dr Lee an alcoholic beverage which he said he had taken from another party-goer at the dining area. According to Richard, the drink came from a person who had an "American accent", and who claimed that the beverage was a "cocktail" of the beverages available, which included gin, vodka and coke.
While the defence has sought to call Richard as a witness, the Australian resident has declined to testify for fear of being detained upon entering Singapore.
About an hour later, Dr Lee had a second drink offered by a foreigner. He said he accepted and shared the drink out of courtesy.
Asked if he had asked what the drink was, Dr Lee said he had not as it "looked and tasted" the same as what he had had before. Dr Lee also maintained that he was aware of the kinds of alcohol available as he had made drinks for himself earlier.
When presented with a list to identify the individuals who had offered him drinks, Dr Lee said he was unable to recall as there had been too many people. A total of 49 men had been arrested at the party.
Ms Chin then asked if Dr Lee had suspected his drink had been spiked at that point, to which the latter said "definitely not".
He would not have expected a "benign birthday celebration" which he had believed to be a "safe space" to have drugs, he told the court.
His third drink, also from a stranger, came about an hour after the second.
Each time Dr Lee took the drink, he felt "high", "happy" and a bit "light-headed"; however, he attributed the sensations to alcohol.
At some point, Dr Lee felt overwhelmed by the crowd and went to the pool to take a break. He returned shortly before police officers arrived, at about 5.40am on Aug 9, 2023. Officers had received information about drug-related activity at the villa.
Dr Lee said he initially believed that the police were investigating a noise complaint. He then noticed people forming a line to jump out of the bathroom window, which he felt was "odd". One of these people broke his leg from the attempt, according to Dr Lee, although he added that nobody knew who he was as he could not speak English.
"I thought it was just a noise complaint, why would people be jumping out of the window?" he added.
"The lights came on and the whole place was a bit more brightly lit, that was when I realised the extent of the movement of drugs, the extent of how many people were there and the presence of these drug-looking items," he said.
Various drugs seized at a hotel on Sentosa Island. (Photos: Central Narcotics Bureau)
As the police began gathering everyone into the living room, party goers were told to sit down and "shut up", Dr Lee said.
Police officers then had "one-on-one" sessions with participants where they conducted searches on their belongings and bodies, Dr Lee said.
Nobody owned up to the drugs or paraphernalia when asked by the police. Packets of drugs, pills and syringes, among other items, were found around the villa, including on a couch, under furniture and at a sink.
Dr Lee maintained that he had not seen any of these items as they were in "obscure places" and the venue had been crowded.
Dr Lee was also asked at length about previous instances where he could have consumed drugs, in particular during a trip to Pattaya, Thailand, in June 2023.
While there, Dr Lee said that he had been pressured by a Thai national to consume pills, which he had believed were mints at first. He told the court that he regretted the incident and has since promised himself that he would never take pills from a stranger again.
While mostly calm while on the stand, Dr Lee briefly revealed his frustration over his court case when asked about a statement recorded by an officer.
This was when Dr Lee was asked why he had not admitted to the offence in his statement, despite his understanding that he could have been placed in a Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) or on a supervision order.
Dr Lee said he had considered the option as "who in the right mind" would not have wanted to go on "the path of least resistance".
"But I couldn't in good conscience admit to something that was not the truth," said an emotional Dr Lee, who pointed out that he now had to defend his innocence in court.
Those assessed to be at low risk of offending could be placed on a supervision order, while those who undergo a DRC regime will not have a criminal record.
After Ms Chin completed her questions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jocelyn Teo cross-examined Dr Lee.
She argued that the accused had taken the drugs knowingly as he enjoyed the euphoric and lightheaded sensations they caused.
Part of the prosecution's argument hinged on the results from Dr Lee's hair sample.
Three segments of his hair, each corresponding to different periods of time he allegedly consumed drugs, were analysed and found to contain MDMA and Ketamine.
The time periods ranged from between January and late March 2023, between late March and late May 2023, and late May to late July 2023.
Dr Lee could not explain why he tested positive for drugs for the periods between January and May 2023, but disagreed when Ms Teo suggested that he had consumed Ketamine and MDMA multiple times before Aug 9, 2023.
Ms Teo also alleged that Dr Lee's defence of being spiked was "speculative" and an "afterthought" designed to "piggyback" off the same defence that his co-accused Tan was attempting to use.
She led a series of questions about Dr Lee's alleged encounter with the Thai national who fed him pills in Pattaya.
Asked if Dr Lee had been force-fed the pill and a drink to wash it down, Dr Teo said he had not been forced but that the incident took place "very fast".
"So today, if someone told you to smoke a vape, you would also smoke a vape?" Ms Teo asked.
"If someone asked you to jump (from) a building, you would jump?" she continued. Dr Lee replied that he "would not" to both questions.
"So it wasn't necessary to comply with the Thai national, was it?" Ms Teo asked. Dr Lee agreed that his behaviour had been "foolish" and that he expressed his regret over the incident.
Ms Teo also noted that Dr Lee would not have consumed unknown pills or unknown liquids as a doctor.
She put to Dr Lee that he had "worked hard" to get to where he was as a doctor, and "would not jeopardise" his efforts, to which Dr Lee agreed.
Yet Dr Lee had taken drinks from strangers, pointed out Ms Teo. To this, Dr Lee said that it was "quite common" in a club or a party to share drinks as long as the person did not appear suspicious or to be potentially harmful.
He later said it was a "common social practice" to share or offer drinks as a form of "social lubricant" in such settings.
"I never would have suspected there was anything else inside ... I didn't suspect that there would have been anything off," he said.
Ms Teo also accused Dr Lee of having "deliberately shut (his) eyes" to the drug activity in the villa as none of these had been conducted secretly. Dr Lee disagreed.
The trial will continue on Tuesday with Tan expected to take the stand.
The offence of consuming a controlled drug carries between one and 10 years' jail and a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,800).
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Dr Rayson Lee Rui Sheng, 35, testified on Monday (Jul 28) that it had not crossed his mind that drugs were involved in the birthday party that his partner had organised for a friend at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.
"This is not something that I could have prevented ... I would never have suspected there were drugs there. None of my friends talk about drugs, none of my friends do drugs," said Dr Lee.
Referring to Singapore's strict drug laws, he added: "Never in my mind would I have suspected that someone would have brought drugs to the party."
Dr Lee and a co-accused Tan Li Ming, 28, are each contesting a single charge of consuming MDMA, a controlled drug also known as "ecstasy", on or before Aug 9, 2023.
Both had attended the party between 8pm on Aug 8 and the early hours of Aug 9, 2023.
Urine samples from Dr Lee and Tan were analysed by the Health Sciences Authority and found to contain MDMA.
An image of an invitation to a party, believed to be organised via a closed chat group, and the suspected drug offenders being arrested on Aug 9, 2023 at a hotel located on Sentosa Island. (Photos: Central Narcotics Bureau)
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On Monday, Dr Lee resumed the stand to give his testimony while Tan observed in the dock. Both are represented by lawyer Tania Chin.
Ms Chin took Dr Lee through the events that occurred from when he returned to the villa with his partner at about 2.45am on Aug 9, 2023, after briefly leaving for a club.
Upon his return, he found that the number of party-goers had increased, with many unfamiliar faces. He later learned that many of these were foreigners hailing from countries like Australia and the United States.
He commented to one of the party-goers, an Indonesian known as Richard, that the villa was "very crowded".
"I was wondering where all these additional people came from. He was equally puzzled," said Dr Lee, adding that he thought the party would have died down by then.
"I think it was a little bit odd when I asked them who invited them. I didn't even recognise the name of the person who called them as well, I thought it was a little bit odd that people were, like, calling without seeking permissions or something," he said.
Richard then shared with Dr Lee an alcoholic beverage which he said he had taken from another party-goer at the dining area. According to Richard, the drink came from a person who had an "American accent", and who claimed that the beverage was a "cocktail" of the beverages available, which included gin, vodka and coke.
While the defence has sought to call Richard as a witness, the Australian resident has declined to testify for fear of being detained upon entering Singapore.
About an hour later, Dr Lee had a second drink offered by a foreigner. He said he accepted and shared the drink out of courtesy.
Asked if he had asked what the drink was, Dr Lee said he had not as it "looked and tasted" the same as what he had had before. Dr Lee also maintained that he was aware of the kinds of alcohol available as he had made drinks for himself earlier.
When presented with a list to identify the individuals who had offered him drinks, Dr Lee said he was unable to recall as there had been too many people. A total of 49 men had been arrested at the party.
Ms Chin then asked if Dr Lee had suspected his drink had been spiked at that point, to which the latter said "definitely not".
He would not have expected a "benign birthday celebration" which he had believed to be a "safe space" to have drugs, he told the court.
His third drink, also from a stranger, came about an hour after the second.
Each time Dr Lee took the drink, he felt "high", "happy" and a bit "light-headed"; however, he attributed the sensations to alcohol.
At some point, Dr Lee felt overwhelmed by the crowd and went to the pool to take a break. He returned shortly before police officers arrived, at about 5.40am on Aug 9, 2023. Officers had received information about drug-related activity at the villa.
POLICE ARRIVE
Dr Lee said he initially believed that the police were investigating a noise complaint. He then noticed people forming a line to jump out of the bathroom window, which he felt was "odd". One of these people broke his leg from the attempt, according to Dr Lee, although he added that nobody knew who he was as he could not speak English.
"I thought it was just a noise complaint, why would people be jumping out of the window?" he added.
"The lights came on and the whole place was a bit more brightly lit, that was when I realised the extent of the movement of drugs, the extent of how many people were there and the presence of these drug-looking items," he said.
Various drugs seized at a hotel on Sentosa Island. (Photos: Central Narcotics Bureau)
As the police began gathering everyone into the living room, party goers were told to sit down and "shut up", Dr Lee said.
Police officers then had "one-on-one" sessions with participants where they conducted searches on their belongings and bodies, Dr Lee said.
Nobody owned up to the drugs or paraphernalia when asked by the police. Packets of drugs, pills and syringes, among other items, were found around the villa, including on a couch, under furniture and at a sink.
Dr Lee maintained that he had not seen any of these items as they were in "obscure places" and the venue had been crowded.
Dr Lee was also asked at length about previous instances where he could have consumed drugs, in particular during a trip to Pattaya, Thailand, in June 2023.
While there, Dr Lee said that he had been pressured by a Thai national to consume pills, which he had believed were mints at first. He told the court that he regretted the incident and has since promised himself that he would never take pills from a stranger again.
While mostly calm while on the stand, Dr Lee briefly revealed his frustration over his court case when asked about a statement recorded by an officer.
This was when Dr Lee was asked why he had not admitted to the offence in his statement, despite his understanding that he could have been placed in a Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) or on a supervision order.
Dr Lee said he had considered the option as "who in the right mind" would not have wanted to go on "the path of least resistance".
"But I couldn't in good conscience admit to something that was not the truth," said an emotional Dr Lee, who pointed out that he now had to defend his innocence in court.
Those assessed to be at low risk of offending could be placed on a supervision order, while those who undergo a DRC regime will not have a criminal record.
PROSECUTION'S QUESTIONING
After Ms Chin completed her questions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jocelyn Teo cross-examined Dr Lee.
She argued that the accused had taken the drugs knowingly as he enjoyed the euphoric and lightheaded sensations they caused.
Part of the prosecution's argument hinged on the results from Dr Lee's hair sample.
Three segments of his hair, each corresponding to different periods of time he allegedly consumed drugs, were analysed and found to contain MDMA and Ketamine.
The time periods ranged from between January and late March 2023, between late March and late May 2023, and late May to late July 2023.
Dr Lee could not explain why he tested positive for drugs for the periods between January and May 2023, but disagreed when Ms Teo suggested that he had consumed Ketamine and MDMA multiple times before Aug 9, 2023.
Ms Teo also alleged that Dr Lee's defence of being spiked was "speculative" and an "afterthought" designed to "piggyback" off the same defence that his co-accused Tan was attempting to use.
She led a series of questions about Dr Lee's alleged encounter with the Thai national who fed him pills in Pattaya.
Asked if Dr Lee had been force-fed the pill and a drink to wash it down, Dr Teo said he had not been forced but that the incident took place "very fast".
"So today, if someone told you to smoke a vape, you would also smoke a vape?" Ms Teo asked.
"If someone asked you to jump (from) a building, you would jump?" she continued. Dr Lee replied that he "would not" to both questions.
"So it wasn't necessary to comply with the Thai national, was it?" Ms Teo asked. Dr Lee agreed that his behaviour had been "foolish" and that he expressed his regret over the incident.
Ms Teo also noted that Dr Lee would not have consumed unknown pills or unknown liquids as a doctor.
She put to Dr Lee that he had "worked hard" to get to where he was as a doctor, and "would not jeopardise" his efforts, to which Dr Lee agreed.
Yet Dr Lee had taken drinks from strangers, pointed out Ms Teo. To this, Dr Lee said that it was "quite common" in a club or a party to share drinks as long as the person did not appear suspicious or to be potentially harmful.
He later said it was a "common social practice" to share or offer drinks as a form of "social lubricant" in such settings.
"I never would have suspected there was anything else inside ... I didn't suspect that there would have been anything off," he said.
Ms Teo also accused Dr Lee of having "deliberately shut (his) eyes" to the drug activity in the villa as none of these had been conducted secretly. Dr Lee disagreed.
The trial will continue on Tuesday with Tan expected to take the stand.
The offence of consuming a controlled drug carries between one and 10 years' jail and a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,800).
Continue reading...