S'porean doctor, 36, & friend, 29, consumed drugs at Sentosa hotel party, each get 1 year jail

A 36-year-old doctor and his 29-year-old friend, who were among 49 men arrested during a police raid at a Sentosa hotel in August 2023, were sentenced to one year jail each on Aug. 12, 2026.

CNA reported that both Rayson Lee Rui Sheng and Tan Li Ming intend to appeal against their convictions.

Earlier reports mentioned that Lee had been caught at a villa at the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa hotel, where a party was held.

The Straits Times (ST) reported that on Jun. 30, 2026, Lee and Tan had each been convicted of one count of drug consumption.

Witnesses testified

CNA reported that a witness who was previously at the party testified seeing a foreigner crushing a green ecstasy pill and placing it into a cup filled with liquid, which was then passed around.

Another witness testified that American offered him a pill in the master bedroom.

Lee had said that he would not have expected a "benign birthday celebration", believing it to be a "safe space" to have drugs.

Despite saying in a statement that he felt light-headed and euphoric after consuming his first drink, he accepted two more drinks, CNA reported.

Accounts during trial not credible: Judge

Charge sheets and court documents seen by Mothership stated that their urine and hair samples showed traces of MDMA, or ecstasy, and ketamine.

Though they contested the charges and claimed their drinks at the party had been spiked, the district judge noted that they continued to take more drinks.

Their accounts during the trial were not credible, ST reported that the judge previously found, adding that there was prior drug use based on their hair samples.

"Neither man was a stranger to drug use," said the judge.

Consumed drugs at villa

Court documents stated that sometime between 8pm on Aug. 8, 2023, and the early hours of Aug. 9, 2023, Lee and Tan attended the party where they each consumed various drinks.

The party saw a total of 49 men aged between 21 and 46 in attendance.

At about 5:39am on Aug. 9, 2023, police raided the location after receiving information of drug-related activity taking place there.

Lee and Tan were then arrested on the same day, along with others who attended the party.

Police also found substances believed to be controlled drugs including Ecstasy and ketamine, as well as drug paraphernalia, after which the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) was called to the scene.

Trial strategy

After Lee and Tan provided their hair and urine samples to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for analysis, HSA found traces of MDMA in their urine samples.

They were also found to have consumed both Ecstasy and ketamine based on their hair samples.

ST reported that while Lee and Tan did not dispute HSA's findings, they claimed their drinks were spiked.

Noting that the pair did not have credible evidence to back up their claims, the deputy public prosecutors (DPPs) said their trial strategy involved introducing various hypothetical scenarios and unexplored possibilities.

This included claims about unidentified foreign nationals who allegedly mixed drinks but were never arrested, and assertions that police failed to seize "plastic silver cups" that might have contained drug residue.

"These contentions amount to bare allegations that serve more as distractions than substantive evidence," said the DPPs.

"Critically, they have produced no credible evidence identifying any specific individual who allegedly spiked their drinks," the DPPs added.

"Even accepting their case at its highest – that cups, if seized, might have tested positive for drugs – this would merely confirm that they consumed drug-laced beverages, not that such consumption was unknowing."

Most generic, unhelpful descriptions: DPPs

Lee previously said at trial that while he was in Thailand in June 2023, he had "popped a pill", given to him by a stranger, on two occasions.

According to the DPPs, if Lee and Tan had truly been victims of spiked drinks, they should have been able to provide at least some concrete details about their alleged perpetrators.

The pair, however, had provided "only the most generic and unhelpful descriptions", the DPPs said, adding that this included vague physical characteristics that could apply to numerous individuals.

In arguing that they had shown a lack of remorse, one DPP had earlier urged the court to sentence each of them to up to a year and three months' jail.

CNA reported that for consuming MDMA, they could have been jailed for between one year and 10 years, and fined up to S$20,000.