Fridae.com founder gets 5 years and 9 months' jail, caning for drug trafficking
Fridae.com founder Stuart Koe was sentenced at the State Courts on Wednesday (14 March) to five years and nine months jail along with five strokes of the cane for drug trafficking.
Koe, 45, was found guilty on one charge of drug trafficking on 27 February following a State Courts trial. He had sold a packet of crystalline substance containing at least 0.17g of methamphetamine – better known as meth or ice – to his former sex partner Yeoh Kim Koon for $240.
According to court documents, the offence occurred at Koe’s residence at Spottiswoode Park Road at around 7.30pm on 25 August 2016. Both Koe and Yeoh were arrested the following month.
Koe intends to appeal against his conviction and sentence, said his lawyer Sunil Sudheesan.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Woon Kwong had sought a jail term of five years and nine months and five strokes of the cane, saying that Koe was not remorseful over his actions.
DPP Wong noted that Koe, who currently faces five other drug-related charges, had also made the sale to Yeoh while out on bail.
Koh’s lawyer had argued that there was no indication that what Koe did was for profit. He also asked for the mandatory minimum jail term of five years and five strokes of the cane, saying that the amount of drugs sold was extremely small.
District Judge Olivia Low agreed with the prosecution, saying that while the weight of the drug sold was minimal and not for profit, Koe had reoffended while on bail.
Yeoh, a Malaysian, was convicted in May last year on one charge of consuming methamphetamine, one charge of possessing at least 0.17g of methamphetamine, and one charge of possessing drug utensils. He is currently serving a 16-month jail term.
Yeoh had told the court in September last year that he had bought methamphetamine from Koe, which they referred to as “cream”, and another substance known as “G”.
Koe, who is also the managing director of local pharmaceutical company ICM Pharma, denied selling illegal drugs to Yeoh while taking the stand in December last year. Koe’s website, Fridae.com, is a well-known lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender social networking platform.
The court will deal with Koe’s other drug-related charges at a later date. He is out on $60,000 bail and has been told to surrender his passport.
Convicted drug traffickers can be jailed between five and 20 years, and be caned between five and 15 strokes.
Related story:
