As the police began gathering everyone into the living room, party goers were told to sit down and “shut up”, Dr Lee said.
Police officers then had “one-on-one” sessions with participants where they conducted searches on their belongings and bodies, Dr Lee said.
Nobody owned up to the drugs or paraphernalia when asked by the police. Packets of drugs, pills and syringes, among other items, were found around the villa, including on a couch, under furniture and at a sink.
Dr Lee maintained that he had not seen any of these items as they were in “obscure places” and the venue had been crowded.
Dr Lee was also asked at length about previous instances where he could have consumed drugs, in particular during a trip to Pattaya, Thailand, in June 2023.
While there, Dr Lee said that he had been pressured by a Thai national to consume pills, which he had believed were mints at first. He told the court that he regretted the incident and has since promised himself that he would never take pills from a stranger again.
While mostly calm while on the stand, Dr Lee briefly revealed his frustration over his court case when asked about a statement recorded by an officer.
This was when Dr Lee was asked why he had not admitted to the offence in his statement, despite his understanding that he could have been placed in a Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) or on a supervision order.
Dr Lee said he had considered the option as “who in the right mind” would not have wanted to go on “the path of least resistance”.
“But I couldn’t in good conscience admit to something that was not the truth,” said an emotional Dr Lee, who pointed out that he now had to defend his innocence in court.
Those assessed to be at low risk of offending could be placed on a supervision order, while those who undergo a DRC regime will not have a criminal record.
PROSECUTION’S QUESTIONING
After Ms Chin completed her questions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jocelyn Teo cross-examined Dr Lee.
She argued that the accused had taken the drugs knowingly as he enjoyed the euphoric and lightheaded sensations they caused.
Part of the prosecution’s argument hinged on the results from Dr Lee’s hair sample.
Three segments of his hair, each corresponding to different periods of time he allegedly consumed drugs, were analysed and found to contain MDMA and Ketamine.
The time periods ranged from between January and late March 2023, between late March and late May 2023, and late May to late July 2023.
Dr Lee could not explain why he tested positive for drugs for the periods between January and May 2023, but disagreed when Ms Teo suggested that he had consumed Ketamine and MDMA multiple times before Aug 9, 2023.
Ms Teo also alleged that Dr Lee’s defence of being spiked was “speculative” and an “afterthought” designed to “piggyback” off the same defence that his co-accused Tan was attempting to use.
She led a series of questions about Dr Lee’s alleged encounter with the Thai national who fed him pills in Pattaya.
Asked if Dr Lee had been force-fed the pill and a drink to wash it down, Dr Teo said he had not been forced but that the incident took place “very fast”.
“So today, if someone told you to smoke a vape, you would also smoke a vape?” Ms Teo asked.
“If someone asked you to jump (from) a building, you would jump?” she continued. Dr Lee replied that he “would not” to both questions.
“So it wasn’t necessary to comply with the Thai national, was it?” Ms Teo asked. Dr Lee agreed that his behaviour had been “foolish” and that he expressed his regret over the incident.
Ms Teo also noted that Dr Lee would not have consumed unknown pills or unknown liquids as a doctor.
She put to Dr Lee that he had “worked hard” to get to where he was as a doctor, and “would not jeopardise” his efforts, to which Dr Lee agreed.
Yet Dr Lee had taken drinks from strangers, pointed out Ms Teo. To this, Dr Lee said that it was “quite common” in a club or a party to share drinks as long as the person did not appear suspicious or to be potentially harmful.
He later said it was a “common social practice” to share or offer drinks as a form of “social lubricant” in such settings.
“I never would have suspected there was anything else inside … I didn’t suspect that there would have been anything off,” he said.
Ms Teo also accused Dr Lee of having “deliberately shut (his) eyes” to the drug activity in the villa as none of these had been conducted secretly. Dr Lee disagreed.
The trial will continue on Tuesday with Tan expected to take the stand.
The offence of consuming a controlled drug carries between one and 10 years’ jail and a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,800).
