SINGAPORE: "Palm Oil" was the code name among City
Harvest Church board members for a project that involved acquiring a
stake in Suntec convention centre as a bigger venue for its growing
congregation.
The church's finance manager Sharon Tan said this on Tuesday (Sep 16) - her third day on the stand - when her lawyer, Senior Counsel Kannan Ramesh, questioned her about the process behind the Suntec bid. Tan is among six leaders accused of misusing S$50 million in church funds.
The court was shown an email written by another member on trial - Deputy Senior Pastor Tan Ye Peng. In the email dated Oct 6, 2008, he asked board members "not to reveal the name of the property" and to keep it "within a very small group of people." Sharon Tan said this was to ensure negotiations for the project would not be jeopardised.
Tan also said that during a board meeting, it was brought up that production company Xtron Productions would front the negotiations for "Palm Oil". Xtron was started in 2003 by three church members, to own and manage future buildings that the church could use consistently.
Tan said the board preferred the church not to hold commercial property, as it was a religious organisation. The church would also pump funds into Xtron as advanced rental, to secure Suntec or an alternative venue.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
The church's finance manager Sharon Tan said this on Tuesday (Sep 16) - her third day on the stand - when her lawyer, Senior Counsel Kannan Ramesh, questioned her about the process behind the Suntec bid. Tan is among six leaders accused of misusing S$50 million in church funds.
The court was shown an email written by another member on trial - Deputy Senior Pastor Tan Ye Peng. In the email dated Oct 6, 2008, he asked board members "not to reveal the name of the property" and to keep it "within a very small group of people." Sharon Tan said this was to ensure negotiations for the project would not be jeopardised.
Tan also said that during a board meeting, it was brought up that production company Xtron Productions would front the negotiations for "Palm Oil". Xtron was started in 2003 by three church members, to own and manage future buildings that the church could use consistently.
Tan said the board preferred the church not to hold commercial property, as it was a religious organisation. The church would also pump funds into Xtron as advanced rental, to secure Suntec or an alternative venue.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment