TRS ex-editor pleaded guilty to sedition charges
Yang Kaiheng at the State Courts. (Photo: Safhras Khan)
Yang Kaiheng, the ex-editor of socio-political website The Real Singapore, pleaded guilty to six sedition charges on Friday (24 June).
The 27-year-old Singaporean entered his plea after the prosecution pointed out loopholes in his testimony, which led Yang to admit that he had lied under oath.
Reading the statement of facts, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) G Kannan said that Yang was a proprietor and distributor of the website, popularly known as TRS. Yang was also the joint-owner of TRS with his wife, Ai Takagi, DPP Kannan added.
The couple were each charged in February this year with seven counts of sedition over articles published on TRS. They were also each charged with one count of failing to furnish documents to the police.
On the charges against Yang, the prosecution is proceeding with six sedition charges and taking into consideration one count of sedition charge and the charge of failing to furnish documents to the police.
Takagi, a 23-year-old Australian, had pleaded guilty to four counts of sedition, and is currently serving a 10-month jail term.
DPP Kannan also revealed that between December 2012 and April 2015, TRS posted A$548,240.65 in advertising revenue. Between December 2012 and December 2013, the advertising revenue totaled A$91,819.34. Takagi transferred all the advertising revenue to Yang’s personal bank account.
The prosecutor told the court that between January 2014 and November 2014, the advertising revenue was used to repay a 30-year housing loan taken by the couple to finance the purchase of a unit in Brisbane, Australia.
DPP Kannan also questioned Yang’s behaviour during his trial, and pointed to his lies while he was taking the stand.
“Yang only pleaded guilty after seven days of trial, after having been cross-examined for two days and before the conclusion of cross-examination. In the course of the trial, Yang admitted to lying under oath on the stand, ” said DPP Kannan.
Yang, who was wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants, stood in the dock while the proceedings were going on before District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt.
DJ Chay adjourned the hearing and asked both the defence and prosecution to submit their mitigation and submission by Tuesday (28 June).
