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Prosecutors are seeking a three-year jail sentence for Ong Jenn, the grandson of the founder of Singapore’s iconic Metro department stores. He pleaded guilty in May for attempting to possess a block of cannabis and cannabis mixture to feed his longtime addiction. In court on Thursday (Jun 22), Deputy Public Prosecutor Ong Luan Tze said three years’ jail is justified due to the “large amount” of cannabis (92.68g) and cannabis mixture (385.1g) that Ong was on his way to collect from his dealer when he was arrested on Oct 31, 2014. Ong’s lawyer, however, argued for a jail term of eight to 12 months. He said the amount of drugs is “less relevant” in Ong’s case because he had bought them to feed his habit and not to traffic them, Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng said, pointing to Ong’s acquittal last month of the initial drug trafficking charge. The 41-year-old had originally faced a more serious charge of conspiring with convicted drug dealer Mohamad Ismail Abdul Majid to traffic cannabis, but was acquitted after a three-day trial. District Judge Jasvender Kaur said there was no evidence that Ong was a trafficker. Ong, who admitted he used to smoke weed regularly for 20 years to deal with insomnia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), opted to plead guilty to reduced charges of attempted possession of cannabis and cannabis mixture. ONG PREPARED TO FACE THE MUSIC: LAWYER
Ong would have pleaded guilty much earlier had prosecutors not “pursued trafficking charges at all cost” and without evidence, said Mr Tan. Now that he has been “vindicated” by the acquittal, “he is prepared to face up to his transgressions”, the lawyer added. He will be sentenced on Jul 12. In arguing for a lighter sentence, Mr Tan argued that since Ong's arrest in October 2014, he has kicked his habit. Ong worked with psychiatrist Dr Munidasa Winslow, as well as attended over 200 support group meetings with Narcotics Anonymous and other anti-drug organisations. Every random urine test since has tested negative for cannabis or other illicit drugs, Mr Tan said. He urged the court to consider placing Ong on probation, “in light of his successful efforts at rehabilitation”. If not, a jail term of eight to 12 months would be “sufficient and appropriate”, he said, citing mitigating factors such as Ong’s “exemplary” cooperation with the authorities after he was caught. Mr Tan also argued that Ong is a first offender - a point which the prosecution disagreed with. “(He) admitted to buying cannabis from Ismail more than 15 times … and to having consumed cannabis for many years”, the prosecution told the court. “Drug (addicts) are not victims of the drug trade, but the source of the problem”, the prosecution said, referring to the harm drugs can cause. Mr Tan argued that the only person Ong harmed, as an addict, was himself. “He was a slave to his own drug habit”, the lawyer said. For the attempted possession of a Class A controlled drug, Ong could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to S$20,000 or both. Ong faces six other charges, including for the possession and consumption of cannabis. These will be dealt with at a later date. Ong is the grandson of Ong Tjoe Kim, the founder of Metro department stores, and the son of its former group managing director Jopie Ong who helmed the company for four decades until his death in 2016. |
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