SINGAPORE: C K Tang Executive Chairman Tang Wee Sung will likely plead guilty to allegedly agreeing to buy a kidney, when court resumes next Wednesday in Singapore's first kidney-for-sale case.

A pre-trial conference took place in chambers on Friday and it was over in less than an hour.

The 55-year-old retail magnate, Tan Wee Sung, faces three charges.

The first one is for allegedly buying a kidney from Indonesian Sulaiman Damanik for S$300,000. However, Tang's deed was discovered before the transplant could take place.

If convicted, he could be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to a year, or both.

The second charge is for making a false statutory declaration to the Commissioner of Oaths, for which he could also be fined and jailed for up to three years.

The last charge is lying to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital's Ethics Committee. For this, he is liable to a maximum fine of S$2,000, jail up to a year, or both.

Wang Chin Sing, the man who allegedly facilitated the kidney-for-sale deal, faces 10 charges, six of which are related to Tang.

Tang's relative, Whang Sung Lin, has been charged with abetting the kidney trading offences.

Channel NewsAsia understands that both the defence and prosecution will make substantial submissions in open court on Wednesday. These are meant to argue the appropriate sentence to be meted out to Tang.

Wang Chin Sing and Whang Sung Lin will return to court for their charges on Tuesday. - CNA/vm