Thursday, August 29, 2013

Xtron and church transparent with auditors: Choong Kar Weng (CNA, 29 August 2013)

SINGAPORE: The trial of the six City Harvest Church leaders continued on Thursday, with defence lawyers seeking to show that both Xtron Productions and the church were transparent with their auditors.

Xtron director Choong Kar Weng took the stand for a fourth day. He said that both Xtron and City Harvest Church used the same auditors as there was nothing to hide.

He added that this made it transparent that church building funds were being invested in Xtron -- which used the money for the music career of Sun Ho, wife of church founder Kong Hee.

Ms Ho was managed by Xtron from 2003 to 2008.

Mr Choong said that no supporters of the Crossover Project would ever want the church to bear losses. The Crossover Project is an effort to reach out to non-Christians through Ms Ho's secular music.

Senior Counsel Andre Maniam -- the lawyer for Sharon Tan, one of the accused -- argued that law firm Rajah & Tann had acted for Xtron in several transactions. These include its purchase of Riverwalk, its advance rental licence agreement with the church, and for its purchase of bonds issued by glass company Firna.

He said this meant that it understood what one transaction meant for another.

He also reiterated that he did not think any criminal breach of trust had been committed, after the prosecution produced a March 2010 email by Mr Choong to Kong that raised the idea of criminal breach of trust in the church's transactions with other entities.

Mr Choong went on to write that he did not think any Criminal Breach of Trust had been committed. When asked by Mr Maniam if he still held this view today, Mr Choong said 'yes'.

No comments:

Post a Comment