SINGAPORE: City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee on
Thursday (Sep 11) said he could not in "good conscience" agree on
negotiations with producers over the production of one of Sun Ho's music
albums, during re-examination by his lawyer Mr Edwin Tong.
Kong and five of his deputies are accused of using church monies to fund the music career of Kong's wife, Ms Ho. She was involved in the church's Crossover Project, which revolved around her recording and launching secular pop music albums as a means of evangelism. The plan was also for Ms Ho to break into the United States music market.
In 2006, music producer Wyclef Jean, who is also a Haitian hip-hop recording artist, was brought on to help Ms Ho. He had wanted additional funding on the project and a 50-50 split on the net profit.
Kong said that he felt he could not commit to this "unreasonable budget" and "risky proposition" as this may put the church in a precarious position where it may not get its money back. Wyclef left the project in 2008 after negotiations broke down and Ms Ho's English album was never released.
Kong was also asked by his lawyer why he and his wife did not go back to the United States to launch the album so they could recover the album proceeds and revenue. He replied that all the investments the church had put into Xtron and Firna were restored to the church, so the church had not lost money.
He added that Ms Ho also had to come back to Singapore when investigations began, and had to finish whatever unfinished business she had on hand and uproot their son from the US. As the church's co-founder, his wife would have to be around as the church needed her, he said.
Kong appeared emotional on the stand as he told the court how investigations had affected his young son. Describing the process as "shocking" and "traumatic", he said his son had panic anxieties, was hyperventilating and had to be brought to see a psychiatrist. The boy's classmates would innocently ask him, "Is your Dad in jail already?" and Kong said his son would often ask why the teachers and adults at school were constantly talking about Kong.
SHOULDERING THE BLAME?
Kong wrote that he wanted to "shoulder the blame" in a "confession letter" on Jun 3, 2010, after the church's lawyer at Drew & Napier, Jimmy Yim, advised him to come clean. Kong said in court that he felt he had done wrong because he was "ignorant" and could have been more involved in some of the financial transactions.
Kong was questioned by former church treasurer and co-accused Chew Eng Han during cross-examination. Chew, who is defending himself, said that in a previous four-and-a-half-hour conversation, Kong had described the confession letter as one for himself to take full responsibility and let everyone else off.
At the time, Chew had told Kong to "stop shouting so loud". But he claimed that Kong had continued to do so and to portray himself as "heroic" and "a responsible pastor". Kong denied this and said it was really his intention to come clean about what he knew, express his state of mind and shoulder the blame for everyone.
With Kong's lawyer wrapping up his re-examination on Thursday, the church's finance manager, Sharon Tan, is expected to take the stand on Friday.
Kong and five of his deputies are accused of using church monies to fund the music career of Kong's wife, Ms Ho. She was involved in the church's Crossover Project, which revolved around her recording and launching secular pop music albums as a means of evangelism. The plan was also for Ms Ho to break into the United States music market.
In 2006, music producer Wyclef Jean, who is also a Haitian hip-hop recording artist, was brought on to help Ms Ho. He had wanted additional funding on the project and a 50-50 split on the net profit.
Kong said that he felt he could not commit to this "unreasonable budget" and "risky proposition" as this may put the church in a precarious position where it may not get its money back. Wyclef left the project in 2008 after negotiations broke down and Ms Ho's English album was never released.
Kong was also asked by his lawyer why he and his wife did not go back to the United States to launch the album so they could recover the album proceeds and revenue. He replied that all the investments the church had put into Xtron and Firna were restored to the church, so the church had not lost money.
He added that Ms Ho also had to come back to Singapore when investigations began, and had to finish whatever unfinished business she had on hand and uproot their son from the US. As the church's co-founder, his wife would have to be around as the church needed her, he said.
Kong appeared emotional on the stand as he told the court how investigations had affected his young son. Describing the process as "shocking" and "traumatic", he said his son had panic anxieties, was hyperventilating and had to be brought to see a psychiatrist. The boy's classmates would innocently ask him, "Is your Dad in jail already?" and Kong said his son would often ask why the teachers and adults at school were constantly talking about Kong.
SHOULDERING THE BLAME?
Kong wrote that he wanted to "shoulder the blame" in a "confession letter" on Jun 3, 2010, after the church's lawyer at Drew & Napier, Jimmy Yim, advised him to come clean. Kong said in court that he felt he had done wrong because he was "ignorant" and could have been more involved in some of the financial transactions.
Kong was questioned by former church treasurer and co-accused Chew Eng Han during cross-examination. Chew, who is defending himself, said that in a previous four-and-a-half-hour conversation, Kong had described the confession letter as one for himself to take full responsibility and let everyone else off.
At the time, Chew had told Kong to "stop shouting so loud". But he claimed that Kong had continued to do so and to portray himself as "heroic" and "a responsible pastor". Kong denied this and said it was really his intention to come clean about what he knew, express his state of mind and shoulder the blame for everyone.
With Kong's lawyer wrapping up his re-examination on Thursday, the church's finance manager, Sharon Tan, is expected to take the stand on Friday.
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