SINGAPORE – City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee, 52, did not have anything to hide.

Rather, he had willingly and “almost religiously” consulted lawyers and auditors about a series of bond transactions made using church funds for its Crossover Project, his lawyer Edwin Tong told a three-judge panel on Thursday (Sept 15).

He also argued that Kong, who was the second of six parties to present his case, was not personally entrusted with the dominion of the funds. These were entrusted to the CHC board as a whole, and Kong alone did not have control.

Mr Tong addressed Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin, and Justices Woo Bih Li and Chan Seng Onn, after the trial resumed in the afternoon.

He received the heaviest sentence of eight years’ jail last November, after he was found guilty of misappropriating $24 million in church funds, funnelling them into bogus investments that funded the singing career of Kong’s wife, Ms Ho Yeow Sun. A further $26 million was also used to cover their tracks.

The six CHC leaders are arguing against their convictions and sentences, while the prosecution is appealing for longer deterrent sentences.

During the trial, Mr Tong said that Kong had instructed for the church’s lawyers and auditors to be consulted before investing in bonds from music production company Xtron and glass-maker Firna.

One of the key auditors consulted was Mr Foong Daw Ching, the former managing director of the church’s auditing firm Baker Tilly TFW.

Even after the bonds were entered into, Kong consulted Mr Foong when there were concerns that the bonds may no tbe redeemed on time, though he was not obligated to, argued Mr Tong.

“As far as Kong Hee is concerned, he does not have a shred of paper that said his colleagues were not to give anything but the true facts to the lawyers or auditors,” he said, referring to a series of e-mail correspondence and BlackBerry messages between them.

Mr Tong argued that Kong’s overall conduct during the critical periods showed that he was transparent about their plans and sought to make sure the deals were above board.

The trial will resume on Friday with former CHC fund manager Chew Eng Han and former finance manager Sharon Tan presenting their appeals.

This article was first published on September 15, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – Was former City Harvest Church finance committee member John Lam, 48, an innocent pawn in the multi-million dollar plan to funnel millions to fund a pop-singer’s music dreams?

That was what Justice Woo Bih Li asked Lam’s lawyer Senior Counsel Kenneth Tan in court on Thursday (Sept 15), where the six church leaders convicted of multi-million dollar fraud were to present their appeals.

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The Straits Times, The New Paper

“We are saying John Lam was being used to facilitate the plan without knowing the full picture,” said Mr Tan.

The first to present his case before a three-judge panel, Mr Tan said his client was merely a volunteer, and not an inside man to the conspiracy to funnel millions from City Harvest Church’s (CHC) building fund to fuel the pop-music career of Ms Ho Yeow Sun.

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

The six CHC leaders at the centre of this multi-million dollar financial scandal are arguing against their convictions and sentences, while the prosecution is appealing for longer deterrent sentences.

In October last year, they were convicted of misappropriating millions in church funds to fuel the pop music career of Ms Ho in a church mission known as the Crossover Project.

The court found that they had invested $24 million from CHC’s building fund in bogus bonds from music production company Xtron and glass-maker Firna, but this money was in fact used to fund the Crossover Project.

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

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Later, another $26 million was used to cover up the initial misdeed.

Lam faces three charges for being involved in the bogus investment bonds and has been sentenced to three years’ jail.

Mr Tan said there was no basis for any inexorable inference that Lam knew the funds from the Xtron and Firna bonds were controlled by fellow co-accused and CHC founder Kong Hee, 52, and that the bond’s repayment was controlled by Kong and three of the other co-accused.

He pointed to the fact that Lam was not copied in important e-mails where these plans were discussed.

If Lam was an inside man, he would have been copied in a lot more e-mails, said Mr Tan.

He added that his client had believed the bonds were bona fide investments.

“John Lam honestly believed that the bonds were genuine investments… An investment with risk – even a lot of risk – remains a genuine investment,” said Mr Tan.

5 things to know about the City Harvest trial

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The Straits Times, The New Paper, City Harvest Church

Kong is expected to present his case in the afternoon.

This article was first published on September 15, 2016.
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