Whang Sung Lin will be sentenced on Friday for instigating his friend, Wang Chin Sing, 44, and his relative, retail magnate Tang Wee Sung, 56, to form an illegal arrangement to buy a kidney for the ailing Mr Tang last year. The 45-year-old businessman could be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to a year.

The court found that Whang, who is married to Mr Tang's niece, not only introduced the two men but also intended to split the proceeds of the sale with Wang, who would make arrangements to procure the kidney.

Yesterday, Whang's lawyer Subhas Anandan told the court that the defence stood by its case that Whang was guilty of abetting the two men by introducing them, but that he did not instigate them to enter into an agreement. Whang also maintained that he did not make any money from the transaction, the lawyer said.

But District Judge Sarjit Singh said the prosecution had proved the charge that Whang had instigated and profited from the agreement.

During the week-long trial last month, Whang admitted he told Mr Tang, who urgently needed a kidney transplant, to contact Wang, a so-called medical concierge.

He, however, denied suggesting to Wang to charge Mr Tang $300,000 for the kidney. He also disagreed that he stood to gain $100,000 from the arrangement. Mr Tang eventually paid Wang $125,000 to help source for a suitable kidney seller in Indonesia.

But the case was exposed when the Health Ministry was told that blood samples from multiple Indonesians had been sent here for cross-matching against a blood sample from a single Singaporean. At the time, only organ transplants from related living donors were allowed, and donors could not be compensated.

Outside the court, Whang, who was accompanied by 10 relatives and friends, told reporters he was 'obviously disappointed' with the conviction. Mr Anandan said his client would decide if he will appeal only after sentencing.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chay Yuen Fatt will be asking the court to impose a deterrent sentence.

Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of the Straits Times

khush@sph.com.sg