Even if if City Harvest Church (CHC) founder Kong Hee had used church funds for the wrong reasons, he did so in good faith and there was never any dishonesty behind it. Moreover, he did not obtain a single cent for his own gain.

That was the case put forth yesterday by Kong’s lawyer Senior Counsel Edwin Tong, in arguing for an overturn of the pastor’s three convictions for “dishonestly misappropriating” church money.

He also appealed Kong’s eight-year jail sentence.

Kong, 52, and five other CHC leaders at the centre of a long-running financial scandal involving $50 million in church funds, are back in court for the final stage of the legal process. The prosecution is appealing for longer deterrent sentences.

City Harvest trial verdict: All six accused found guilty of all charges

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, The Straits Times, AFP

In October last year, the six were convicted of misappropriating millions in church funds to fuel the pop music career of Kong’s wife, Ho Yeow Sun, in a church mission known as the Crossover Project.

The court found they had invested $24 million from CHC’s building fund in bogus bonds from production company Xtron and glass-maker Firna – money that was in fact used to fund the Crossover Project. Another $26 million was spent to cover up the initial misdeed.

Yesterday, Kong and former CHC finance committee member John Lam, 48, presented their cases before a three-judge panel.

The panel comprises Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin, and Justices Woo Bih Li and Chan Seng Onn.

Mr Tong said the lower court had wrongly conflated the “wrong use” of CHC’s building fund with having a dishonest intention. “The intention to put the funds to wrongful use is not the same as the intention to cause wrongful loss,” he noted.

Mr Tong also reiterated Kong’s defence that he had “almost religiously” consulted lawyers and auditors about the bond transactions.

The six accused had arrived in good spirits yesterday. All of them – except former CHC fund manager Chew Eng Han, who is representing himself and was seated with the other defence lawyers – were smiling and laughing in the dock before proceedings began.

Lam’s lawyer Senior Counsel Kenneth Tan reiterated his client’s defence that he had only limited involvement and knowledge in the bond transactions, agreeing at one point with Justice Woo who had asked if Lam was an “innocent pawn” being used by the others. Lam faces three years in jail.

The appeal continues today with Chew and former finance manager Sharon Tan presenting their cases.

5 things to know about the City Harvest trial

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, The New Paper, City Harvest Church

dansonc@sph.com.sg

nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.

A 59-year-old doctor has been suspended for three months for failing to adequately diagnose and treat a patient for a serious eye disease, which led to her having vision problems.

The patient had consulted Fong Wai Yin, a general practitioner (GP) at Nanyang Centre Clinic in Jurong West, on three occasions in March 2013 for red eyes and high pressure in her eyes, blurred vision as well as severe and persistent headache and vomiting.

However, Dr Fong, who has been practising since 1993, did not conduct a visual acuity test for the patient.

He also did not properly assess her red eyes, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) said in its Grounds of Decision yesterday.

Dr Fong wrongly assumed that the patient had acute conjunctivitis but she was later discovered by another doctor to have bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma, which required immediate treatment.

Not only did he fail to refer the patient to an eye specialist for urgent assessment, he also repeatedly assured her that there was no cause for alarm.

This is despite her lack of improvement even after the third consultation.

It was only on March 26 that the patient was diagnosed with another condition at a hospital’s glaucoma specialist clinic.

A complaint was lodged by the patient’s son, and a disciplinary tribunal from the SMC held an inquiry into the complaint on July 25.

The patient’s son indicated in the complaint that the delay in diagnosing and treating his mother’s condition had made it impossible for her to recover her vision fully.

He also stated that she now suffers from tunnel vision and cannot see more than a few feet in front of her.

feliciac@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.

A SIM sticker, that is less than 0.5mm thick, could offer consumers a cheaper and more seamless way to stay connected when they are overseas.

Being launched today, the product is the brainchild of two-year-old Singapore start-up Interfone, which promises up to 90 per cent cheaper roaming rates.

The sticker works with its My Interfone app to allow users to download virtual prepaid SIM cards from participating countries.

In this way, users do not need to buy a physical prepaid SIM card in the destination country. Nor do they need to switch their mobile numbers.

The sticker-cum-app solution, which took two years to develop, allows users to keep their existing local numbers while travelling.

“Not needing to switch out a physical SIM card, or change mobile number, is a huge draw to consumers,” said Erik Rasmussen, chief executive officer of Interfone.

He added that the solution is already in use by some 500 corporate clients, mostly in Singapore.

Its SIM sticker – which comes free with a $30 call and text credit purchase on its website – is meant to be stuck on the chip of one’s local SIM card.

Users must register the SIM card sticker via the My Interfone app before they travel. The same app allows users to top up their credits starting from $25.

Data roaming is available in 100 countries via global telco tie-ups. In the United States, Interfone works with AT&T. In Hong Kong, it is with CSL and Hong Kong Telecoms. In Malaysia, Interfone has partnered Celcom and Maxis. Its Singapore partner is Singtel.

Interfone promises cheaper rates of up to 90 per cent in destinations like the United States and Britain.

For instance, calls made or received in Malaysia, Australia, the US and Hong Kong cost 49 Singapore cents a minute using Interfone’s solution.

Traditionally, calls cost at least $4 per minute to make – or at least $1.50 per minute to receive – while roaming in these destinations.

Each SMS is at a flat rate of 29 Singapore cents using Interfone’s solution, as opposed to 90 cents in the US or $1 in Australia.

Interfone also sells 24-hour unlimited data plans from $25 a day, depending on destination.

Businessman Harry Chew, 46, said the benefits are not immediately obvious. “With my unlimited data plan, I can make calls from WhatsApp.”

Marketing manager Aaron Koh, 40, is concerned that the sticker might cause the SIM card to be stuck in the phone. “Most phones are super slim with no excess space,” he said.

Interfone’s chief marketeer Peter Yu allayed such fears saying: “To date, with a 0.5mm sticker, Interfone has yet to face a phone that cannot fit.”

itham@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.