SINGAPORE : One of the alleged ringleaders of a high-society
drug ring, Marx Oh, was on Wednesday sentenced to six years jail
and five strokes of the cane for drug offences.
He had earlier claimed trial for five charges of drug possession
and trafficking, but decided to plead guilty on Monday.
Thirty-two-year-old Oh, who is currently serving a year in jail for
possessing cannabis and cocaine, was dealt another 12 months
imprisonment for owning 16.25 grammes of cannabis.
He was given a five-year jail term plus five strokes of the cane
for trafficking 0.56 gramme of cannabis by giving it Jeremy Mahen
Chanmugam, who had since jumped bail and fled the country.
A third drug possession charge, for 2.44 grammes of cannabis, was
taken into consideration.
The six-year jail term starts immediately and will run concurrently
with the previous sentence.
Two other charges of trafficking cocaine have been stood down with
Oh being granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, as the
key witness to these charges, Guiga Laroussi, absconded in
February.
Defence lawyer Subhas Anandan said, "I'm going to wait for some
time, maybe a year or later, then if there's no development, I
think I'll write to the Attorney General's Chambers to say look,
give me some assurance that my client is not going to be charged
anymore because it's not fair to have a serious charge hanging over
your head."
The court heard that Oh had claimed trial due to a misconception
about drug trafficking.
Mr Subhas Anandan said, "People should know that trafficking does
not mean there should be monetary transaction. If you give it to
somebody just for a puff, even if I share a joint with someone, I
can be charged for trafficking."
The lawyer hopes Oh's sentencing will put an end to the much
publicised October drug bust, as he is the last of a string of high
profile personalities to be convicted. - CNA