SINGAPORE — City Harvest Church’s former investment manager Chew Eng Han had lied to the court and omitted crucial portions of evidence in his testimony, said the prosecution this morning (Feb 4).
Chew is among six church leaders, including church founder Kong Hee, accused of misusing S$24 million in church building funds to buy sham bonds in two companies to boost Kong’s wife Ho Yeow Sun’s pop music career. One of these companies was Xtron Productions, which manages Ms Ho.
Another S$26.6 million of church funds was then allegedly circulated through complex transactions to cover up the first sum.
Citing Chew’s own words in email sent in December 2006, the prosecution charged that Chew made suggestions to disguise the sham transactions as legitimate so as to fend off auditors.
Chew had also been “misleading and very selective” in presenting emails during his evidence-in-chief last week, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong.
Chew disagreed. He countered that he was concerned about “baseless accusations” that may arise as to how the church’s money was used to benefit Kong and Ms Ho.
“Your Honour, I’m a man of substance. I don’t believe in appearance. But I do believe as well that if you project the wrong appearance, it just invites false accusations. Simple as that,” he said.
DPP Ong further contended that Chew was involved in a “pre-packaged plan” to channel the church’s funds into Ms Ho’s career under the guise of an advance rental paid to Xtron for worship premises at the Expo.
Asserting that the funds were genuinely intended as advance rental, Chew said they were used as a temporary “bridge” to fund Ms Ho’s album expenses until more permanent sources of funds came in the forms of album sales or bond proceeds.
“There is really nothing sinister about this, Your Honour.”
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