SINGAPORE — They once stood shoulder-to-shoulder in their close-knit circle at City Harvest Church. However, former church investment manager Chew Eng Han yesterday took aim at his former spiritual mentor Kong Hee for the latter’s role in financial transactions that had led to criminal charges being pressed against them and four church leaders.
In his cross-examination yesterday that was civil in tone but at times bruising, Chew, who left the church last year and is representing himself, said City Harvest founder Kong had been the “key decision-maker” in the financing of the church’s Crossover Project, which aimed to evangelise through the secular pop music sung by Kong’s wife, Ms Ho Yeow Sun.
The six leaders are accused of misusing S$24 million of the church’s building funds to support Ms Ho’s career via sham bonds and misusing another S$26.6 million to cover up the first sum.
Kong had said earlier this week that while he had rigorously overseen the budgeting for the production of Ms Ho’s debut English album in the United States, Chew had handled the financing of the Crossover Project.
Yesterday, Chew argued that the budgeting and financing aspects could not have been separated. He also said the sum and timing of payments for album expenses correlated closely with the value and draw-down timings of bonds that the church had bought from two companies for the purpose of the Crossover Project.
“As the senior pastor of City Harvest Church, as a man of God, wouldn’t it be responsible and right of you to take responsibility as the key decision-maker for the financing of the Crossover Project?” Chew asked.
Kong replied that he wished he could have done “everything and be a Superman”, but he had been busy with missions work overseas. He said he had tasked church board members to seek expert advice from lawyers and auditors before saying yes to the bond investments in Xtron Productions, Ms Ho’s Singapore management company, and an Indonesian glassware firm owned by a church member. “I want to take responsibility but, in this area, I have tasked the management board to make the decision,” he said.
Chew also argued that some board members had been in favour of the church funding Ms Ho’s career openly and directly as it was in line with the church’s missions objective. However, Kong had preferred not to do so for fear of it hampering outreach in certain countries and because he did not want to give off the perception that his wife was unable to make it on her own as a secular singer without the church’s help.
In a 2003 email, former board member John Lam asked his fellow accused Chew and Tan Ye Peng whether church funds could be used for Ms Ho’s third Mandarin album. Chew replied then that he was open to it. He said he held the same view in 2007, the year the church bought Xtron bonds. However, he had deferred to Kong’s preference.
Asked whether there was any reason Chew would want to conspire with Kong to misappropriate funds and harm the church for the sake of Ms Ho’s career, Kong replied: “I can’t think of any reason ... and I believe (Chew) Eng Han in those days would never harm the church in any way.”
Chew also took aim at the church’s former second-in-command Tan, saying it was the latter who had first suggested loaning the building funds to Xtron for the Crossover, although Chew had come up with the idea of Xtron issuing bonds.
Chew will continue to cross-examine Kong on Monday.
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