The Real Singapore co-founder Yang Kaiheng convicted on six counts of sedition

Though Yang Kaiheng had initially claimed trial to the charges of sedition levelled onto him in the court case against sociopolitical site The Real Singapore, he decided to plead guilty after his arguments were splintered by prosecutors. 

The 27-year-old co-founder of the now-defunct sociopolitical site has been convicted of six counts of sedition, TODAY reports, and is now facing up to three years in jail and/or a fine of $5,000 for each charge. 

His wife — 23-year-old Australian national Ai Takagi — had also faced similar charges of sedition for running the site, which was shut down by authorities last year for promoting ill-will and hostility among various groups in Singapore. She was convicted and sentenced to 10 months in jail earlier in March after she admitted to falsifying and editing several posts on the site, angling them to be more xenophobic. 

Through “scandalous, provocative and racy material”, the couple managed to increase The Real Singapore‘s views, which in turned garnered huge advertising revenue for them. They were raking in up to AUD53,543.94 a month. 

Takagi took the fall, with Yang initially denying all involvement in the distribution and proprietorship of the site. Last week however he indicated his intention to plead guilty, and has since admitted to using the site to fan anti-foreigner sentiments in Singapore. The prosecution has also charged Yang with lying during the course of investigations as well as lying while on the stand. 

The case has been adjourned to June 28. 



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