SINGAPORE, Oct 2 — The High Court in Singapore has adjourned the appeal of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) director-general Gilbert Oh Hin Kwan against his jail sentence for the misuse of diplomatic bags.

According to The Straits Times, the adjournment allows both parties to clarify the terms of Oh’s guilty plea.

During the appeal yesterday, Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng, representing Oh, said an agreement had been made that the prosecution would seek a fine if Oh pleaded guilty to providing false information.

Tan added, "If the custodial threshold has been crossed, the court should consider imposing a community service order or a short detention order instead.”

He described the one-week jail sentence as "manifestly excessive” and urged High Court Justice Dedar Singh Gill to set aside the decision and instead uphold the prosecution’s initial recommendation of a fine.

He said the district judge had erred by rejecting the prosecution’s argument that "little, if any, appreciable harm” resulted from Oh’s false statement.

Oh, 45, pleaded guilty in April to providing false information to a public servant.

He also faces two additional charges for abetting cheating in the MFA, involving the use of the diplomatic bag service to courier luxury watches and send Panadol.

In May, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz sentenced Oh to one week in jail, despite both the prosecution and defence recommending a fine.

The prosecution sought a fine between US$6,000 and US$9,000 (RM19,413 and RM29,121), while Oh’s previous legal team requested a fine under US$5,000.

The two cheating charges were considered during sentencing.

Tan produced two letters from the prosecution to confirm the prior agreement and questioned why the prosecution had since changed its stance, now supporting the one-week jail term.

Tan explained that Oh had lied to MFA Deputy Secretary Ong Eng Chuan on January 19, 2023, at around 6.30pm.

Later that evening, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) interviewed Oh, who maintained the lie during the session.

However, Oh confessed in a second statement to CPIB by 10.30am the next day.

Tan argued that Oh’s false statement did not waste investigative resources, as he came clean within 24 hours.

He also said the false information did not prevent Oh from facing the consequences of his actions.