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SINGAPORE: A man who said he consumed drugs with former lawyer M Ravi hours before his death will be charged on Friday (Dec 26) for arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed.<\/p>\n
The offence carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and 10 strokes of the cane.<\/p>\n
In a joint news release on Friday, the Singapore Police Force and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the two men knew each other since 2023 and had first met through a social networking app.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 40-year-old man said that they had met at the man\u2019s apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs that allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities.<\/p>\n
According to him, Mr Ravi, 56, began to show “concerning symptoms” and became unresponsive after they allegedly consumed the drugs. The man administered CPR on Mr Ravi before calling the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for assistance.<\/p>\n
Mr Ravi was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital unconscious, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.<\/p>\n
CNB\u2019s follow-up investigations revealed that the man may have deliberately disposed of some drugs before the police arrived at the Upper Boon Keng Road apartment. He has therefore also been referred to the police for a possible offence of perverting the course of justice.<\/p>\n
The man was arrested by CNB for suspected drug-related offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n
CNB officers also seized some drug-related items from the apartment. His urine had tested positive for a controlled drug in an instant urine test, and his urine samples will be sent to the Health Sciences Authority for a confirmatory test.<\/p>\n
Investigations by CNB and the police are ongoing.<\/p>\n
The authorities said that after police investigations are completed, the findings will be submitted to the State Coroner in Singapore, who will determine if a coroner\u2019s inquiry will need to be held.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n