Pharma firm MD convicted of drug trafficking gets added jail time for offending while out on bail
He was sentenced to five years and nine months’ jail with five strokes of the cane in March last year for drug trafficking.
However, while out on bail ahead of his appeal hearing, 46-year-old Stuart Koe Chi Yeow committed more drug-related crimes.
At the State Courts on Tuesday (22 January), he was slapped with an additional jail term of one year and one month. He had pleaded guilty to possession of the controlled drug nimetazepam – also known as Erimin-5; possession of drug taking utensils on the same day; and consumption of methamphetamine.
Koe is the managing director of local pharmaceutical company ICM Pharma and founder of the Fridae.com lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender networking site.
He will begin serving the new sentence after his previous sentence, which was upheld by a High Court judge, is completed.
Drugs found in home and car
Koe received his first jail term on 14 March last year on one proceeded charge of drug trafficking.
He had been arrested on 23 March 2016 by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau who found drugs and drug consumption utensils in his Spottiswoode Park Road home. Drugs were also found in his car.
Five months later, on 25 August 2016, Koe sold a packet of drugs containing at least 0.17g of methamphetamine – better known as meth or Ice – to his former lover Yeoh Kim Koon for $240.
Koe was again arrested at his home on 22 September 2016 and charged in court the next day for drug possession and consumption, and possession of drug consumption utensils.
Found unfit for caning
After he was handed the five year and nine month jail term at the State Courts last March, Koe was released on bail pending an appeal.
Four months later, on 9 July last year, the police were alerted to a suicide attempt at his home. Officers who visited the scene found drugs and drug taking utensils there.
Koe was arrested the next day in a room at Capri hotel in Changi. His urine tested positive for methamphetamine and he was again charged with drug consumption on 13 September last year.
On 21 September last year, a High Court judge dismissed Koe’s appeal against his sentence, which he began serving that same day.
Koe was found unfit to be caned by the prison authorities on 1 November last year.
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