City Harvest trial resumes today (ST: 26 Jan 2015)

THE high-profile criminal trial of six City Harvest Church (CHC) members resumes today, with its former investment manager - which the church recently sued in a separate case - expected to take the stand first.

Chew Eng Han is conducting his own defence in the long-running trial that began nearly two years ago on May 15, 2013.

The case had unfolded dramatically as church founder Kong Hee, Chew, and four others fight various charges of criminal breach of trust and falsifying accounts, with some defendants turning on others.

The defendants allegedly misused some $50 million of church funds, half of which was funnelled through sham transactions to boost the pop music career of Kong's wife Ho Yeow Sun, say prosecutors.

The defence, however, have argued that Ms Ho's secular music career was part of the church-approved Crossover Project. This aimed to attract non-Christians through her songs and spread the Gospel among them.

Three of the six accused - Kong, longtime CHC Board member John Lam, and church finance manager Sharon Tan - have already taken the stand.

That leaves three others: Chew, former church finance manager Serina Wee, and CHC management board vice-president Tan Ye Peng.

They are likely to give testimony in that order, and hearing dates have been set all the way till mid-June.

The trial, which goes into its 89th day today, has been punctuated by emotional outbursts, and the tension may heighten as Chew enters the witness box.

A member of the church since 1995, Chew held various positions on the CHC Board until his resignation in 2007 when his company, Amac Capital Partners, was appointed as the church's fund manager.

He left the church completely in 2013, later telling the court that one reason for his departure was because Kong "deceived the people closest to (him)".

Throughout his cross-examinations of the other defendants who have testified, Chew had painted Kong as a liar and tried to distance himself from any schemes he claimed had been hatched before he got involved.

The megachurch filed court papers against Amac in October last year, and is suing Chew for almost $21 million in unreturned investments, including $4.6 million in interest.

Chew had rejected the claims in his written defence filed on Nov 18.