IN THE High Court on Thursday, Johnny Ong asked for time to post bail and seek legal aid. The 21-year-old said he wanted to get a lawyer to argue his appeal against being sent to the Reformative Training Centre (RTC) for helping run an illegal gaming service.

Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong asked him to sit down.After considering the prosecution's arguments, CJ Chan decided that Ong had been punished enough. He would be freed on Friday.

The CJ also pointed out that this was Ong's first brush with the law. Ong also told police that he needed to work to support his ailing mother. He was paid $70 a day as a cashier at the gaming den but was not planning to work there long. The CJ noted that Ong has served more than two months in detention since conviction.

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