CHC trial: 'Just offering advice' in proposing decisions on property investments, says Chew (CNA: 4 Feb 2015)

SINGAPORE: The former fund manager of City Harvest Church has said he was "just offering his advice", in proposing decisions on property investments, including the purchase of a Riverwalk property.

Chew Eng Han told this to a court on Tuesday (Feb 3), in response to a question by the prosecution on his role in the management of Xtron, a company linked to the church.

Chew has maintained that Xtron is a "vehicle" to secure a property for the church, while the prosecution believes Xtron was a shell company controlled by church founder Kong Hee and his deputies, to enable the misuse of church funds. The deputies include Chew and deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng.

During cross-examination, Chew said he was liaising with the sellers of Riverwalk and lawyers, and this was done on behalf of the church and Xtron.

"If you call this management, then, yes, I was involved,” Chew said. “But to me, it is a role as a fund manager and investment adviser. I was just offering my services."

Chew was also questioned on Kong Hee's previous claim that the church founder was not in a position to buy or sell Riverwalk. To that, Chew said that Kong Hee is in a position to "strongly influence".

"The reality is ... that in the (City Harvest Church) board, it is really Kong Hee and Tan Ye Peng that are the most influential,” Chew said. “There is hardly any situation where Kong Hee or Tan Ye Peng suggests certain matters to the board and it has been rejected."

Chew was also asked why Xtron was represented to auditors as not being a related party of the church.

He replied that Xtron provided a discreet way of carrying out the Crossover Project, which was the church's process of evangelising through the secular music of Sun Ho, who is Kong Hee's wife. He added that if Ms Ho was revealed to be a "gospel singer", countries not receptive to the gospel may close their doors to her.

However, the prosecution pointed to newspaper headlines mentioned by Kong Hee during a previous church meeting showing that it was "common knowledge" in Asia that Ms Ho was using her concerts to spread the gospel.

Chew is among six leaders accused of misusing church funds, to boost the career of Ms Ho. The leaders are believed to have made sham bond investments in two companies, including Xtron, and then covering them up.

It is the prosecution's case that Chew and other leaders sought to hide the connection between the church and Xtron, to prevent the bonds from being uncovered as shams. Chew disagreed and said he never thought the bonds were shams.