John Lam first up in City Harvest Church appeals
Kong Hee and his wife Sun Ho arriving at the Supreme Court on Sept 15, 2016. Photo: Robin Choo/TODAY
SINGAPORE — Former City Harvest Church (CHC) board member John Lam was the first of six CHC leaders back in court on Thursday (Sept 14) morning, after they were found guilty of misappropriating S$50.6 million in church funds almost a year ago. All six are appealing against their conviction and sentences.
The prosecution, however, is pressing for longer sentences for the six church leaders, who were sentenced to jail terms of between 21 months and eight years.
First up at 10am was Lam, former secretary of the church's management board. The public gallery was filled by 9.55am with church co-founder Kong Hee and his wife, Ho Yeow Sun or Sun Ho, spotted in the public gallery.
Church founder Kong Hee, its former second-in-command Tan Ye Peng, and former church finance managers Serina Wee and Sharon Tan also appeared in the dock on Thursday morning. Former church investment manager Chew Eng Han, who was representing himself, was seated among the lawyers.
The second appeal to be heard on Wednesday is Kong's, followed daily by the other four appeals till next Wednesday (Sept 21).
In October last year, the six were convicted for charges including criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts. The trial began in 2013 and lasted for 140 days in the State Courts. All six are currently out on bail.
In his judgement, Presiding Judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon called out the church leaders' for their "covert operations and conspiratorial cover-ups". He added that he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that they were guilty of all charges brought against them.
The six leaders were found guilty of misusing S$24 million of the church's building fund for sham bond investments and of circulating another S$26.6 million of church funds to create the false impression that the earlier investments had been redeemed.
These sham bond investments were made between 2007 and 2009. They were conceived to support the church's "Crossover Project", where the secular pop music of church co-founder and Kong's wife, Ho Yeow Sun, or Sun Ho, was used to evangelise.
In December last year, they filed notices of appeal against their conviction and sentences at a closed-door hearing in the State Courts.
