So, what happened to the CAD's investigation on City Harvest?

[Haagen Diaz]

City Harvest warned over fund raising for six accused


Singapore's City Harvest Church Warned Against Raising Money for Pastor Kong Hee



City Harvest Church has been warned by the Commissioner of Charities (COC) about its employees' efforts to raise funds to pay the legal fees of its leaders facing criminal charges in court.

At issue is a donation form which surfaced this month seeking funds as a "personal gift" to the six people charged so far.

Dated Aug 6, the form states that the donations would be deposited into the bank accounts of two City Harvest Church pastors.

In response to The Straits Times' queries, COC said that it had informed the church that neither it nor its employees may be involved in raising funds for the legal expenses for the accused.

The commissioner also said that it had earlier issued a restriction order to the church's board to stop them from using church funds for the same reason.

City Harvest Church, however, said that the donation form - which had been circulated as recently as last week - was no longer being used.

It said the pastors involved have relinquished their roles in the effort, and added that the church was unaware of any new fund-raising efforts that are currently taking place.

Employees from the church have mounted fund-raising efforts ever since their church leaders were charged in June this year.


Commissioner of Charities' response

"The Commissioner of Charities' (COC) office had earlier issued a Restriction Order to the Board of City Harvest Church (CHC) to restrict CHC from paying the legal fees of the six accused persons and entering into transactions relating to payment of services to the suspended individuals and their related entities, without the approval of the COC.

The COC has informed CHC that the church and/or its employees should not be involved in raising funds for the legal expenses or setting up a specific fund for this purpose."

 

[Haagen Diaz]

COC stopped CHC from raising funds for the 6 accused « Editorial « TR EMERITUS



Attempts by the City Harvest Church (CHC) to quietly raise funds for their 6 church leaders including Kong Hee, to fight their legal cases, have been stopped by the Commissioner of Charities (COC).

Among the 6 accused, 5 have hired the elite Senior Counsels while Kong Hee has hired PAP MP of Moulmein-Kallang GRC, Edwin Tong, who is a Partner in Allen & Gledhill. The legal cost to represent them in court is likely to exceed $1 million each.

According to some CHC members, they received a donation form last week during a zone meeting, which is a combined meeting for cell groups under a church pastor.

Dated 6 Aug, the form stated that the donations would be deposited into the bank accounts of 2 CHC pastors. It also said that it is seeking funds as a “personal gift” to their 6 leaders. At the meeting, it was mentioned that the legal fees of their leaders could be well taken care of if 7,500 people can give $2,000 each, which works out to be $15 million in total, giving the 6 accused $2.5 million each to help fight their cases. Any remainder would be donated back to the church for general expense use.

COC then warned CHC of getting any of its employees to help raise funds to pay the legal fees of the 6 currently facing criminal charges.

COC said, “The Commissioner of Charities’ (COC) office had earlier issued a Restriction Order to the Board of City Harvest Church (CHC) to restrict CHC from paying the legal fees of the six accused persons and entering into transactions relating to payment of services to the suspended individuals and their related entities, without the approval of the COC.”

“The COC has informed CHC that the church and/or its employees should not be involved in raising funds for the legal expenses or setting up a specific fund for this purpose.”

In response, CHC now said that the donation form was no longer being used. It said the pastors involved have relinquished their roles in the effort, and added that “the church was unaware of any new fund-raising efforts that are currently taking place”.

It is strange that CHC is involving its employees to help raise funds for the accused when few weeks ago on 29 Jul, CHC’s executive pastor, Mr Aries Zulkarnain, specifically told the executive members of CHC, “The COC has expressly prohibited the Church from using any funds of the Church to assist in the defense of the individuals. So, as a church, we cannot and should not use church funds or raise funds on their behalf.”

He did however, give his consent to members to raise funds for Kong Hee and his cohort in their own capacity.

Kong Hee and 5 other CHC leaders were arrested in Jun and charged with conspiring to cheat the church of millions of dollars. Some $24 million of church’s funds was allegedly transferred to two companies as bond investments – $13 million to Xtron Productions and $11 million to Firna. It’s been charged that these were “sham transactions” devised to conceal the diversion of the church’s building fund to finance the pop music career of celebrity Sun Ho, Kong’s wife.

When questions about the investments were raised, another $26.6 million was allegedly misappropriated from the church’s funds – $11.4 million to AMAC Capital Partners and $15.2 million to Xtron Productions. This $26.6 million was believed to have been used to create the impression that the sham bonds had been fully “redeemed”, a process called “round-tripping” to cover the tracks of the earlier $24 million. In this manner, millions of dollars were allegedly transferred and used to build Sun Ho’s music career in the US.

According to Kong Hee, his $1 million bail was posted by his father-in-law.

In his statement to the press, he said he is confident that he will be vindicated.

All 6 have pleaded not guilty to the charges. A pre-trial conference of the case will be heard on 30 Aug next week.

 

[1234xx]

City Harvest warned over fund raising for six accused


Singapore's City Harvest Church Warned Against Raising Money for Pastor Kong Hee



City Harvest Church has been warned by the Commissioner of Charities (COC) about its employees' efforts to raise funds to pay the legal fees of its leaders facing criminal charges in court.

At issue is a donation form which surfaced this month seeking funds as a "personal gift" to the six people charged so far.

Dated Aug 6, the form states that the donations would be deposited into the bank accounts of two City Harvest Church pastors.

In response to The Straits Times' queries, COC said that it had informed the church that neither it nor its employees may be involved in raising funds for the legal expenses for the accused.

The commissioner also said that it had earlier issued a restriction order to the church's board to stop them from using church funds for the same reason.

City Harvest Church, however, said that the donation form - which had been circulated as recently as last week - was no longer being used.

It said the pastors involved have relinquished their roles in the effort, and added that the church was unaware of any new fund-raising efforts that are currently taking place.

Employees from the church have mounted fund-raising efforts ever since their church leaders were charged in June this year.


Commissioner of Charities' response

"The Commissioner of Charities' (COC) office had earlier issued a Restriction Order to the Board of City Harvest Church (CHC) to restrict CHC from paying the legal fees of the six accused persons and entering into transactions relating to payment of services to the suspended individuals and their related entities, without the approval of the COC.

The COC has informed CHC that the church and/or its employees should not be involved in raising funds for the legal expenses or setting up a specific fund for this purpose."

The Board of City Harvest Church (CHC) already violated the Restriction Order and what is the Commissioner of Charities' (COC) office going to do about it. Simply no impact on the Board of City Harvest Church (CHC) and Board of City Harvest Church (CHC) really made them look like a FOOL.

 

[koxinga]

It will simply drive this underground. No donation form but money pass under table. If his people want to donate to his legal defence, there is no real way to stop it on a personal level.

 

[the erudite one]

this "personal gift" thing is a loophole waiting to be exploited

 

[James Tang]

Am interested to know if the bail money is really from the father in law or some other sources.

Hope the authorities will investigate

 

[TUV2008]

It will simply drive this underground. No donation form but money pass under table. If his people want to donate to his legal defence, there is no real way to stop it on a personal level.

Why people die die must support him? What magic he has???

Why can't someone give money to me?

 

[cscs3]

Why people die die must support him? What magic he has???

Why can't someone give money to me?

Only if they have invest in you before.
Reason should be very clear.

 

[ZarathustraNeo]

Am interested to know if the bail money is really from the father in law or some other sources.

Hope the authorities will investigate

Check his father in law's tax returns, everything is there.

 

[mgsten]

one more week. but not expecting much. unless someone zao lor.

 

[Haagen Diaz]

Wow! Time flies so fast. 5 days left to go!

 

[lenney]

Just like stock. The deeper you sink the harder to get out until one day hit the wall and wake up.

Only if they have invest in you before.
Reason should be very clear.

 

[TUV2008]

Wow! Time flies so fast. 5 days left to go!

5 days more for pre trail conference only , the court wayang still long way to go!

 

[goenitz33]

this kind of case can drag very long de lah.

 

[cscs3]

Just like stock. The deeper you sink the harder to get out until one day hit the wall and wake up.

You are right.

 

[1234xx]

5 days more for pre trail conference only , the court wayang still long way to go!

hope no more adjournment and proceed to straight to the trial... don't forget congee has applied to leave the country and when is the actual travel plan also hush hush. WTF !!!

 

[TUV2008]

hope no more adjournment and proceed to straight to the trial... don't forget congee has applied to leave the country and when is the actual travel plan also hush hush. WTF !!!

The pre trail conference is like a meeting to bargain if they want to proceed with the case in court. Once they decided to go to court, then the judge will need to pick a date may be 1-2 month later for the actual show down in court.

U think u suka suka can go to court anytime ?!

 

[[[ForeverAlone]]]

 

[whytespot]

really dont understand the CHC members. why do they rather raise money for their very rich pastors instead of helping those people in their own charity i believe if they help their own charity, then they would not have to seek the help of NTUC and the National Council of Social Service to seek donations

 

[ponpokku]

Check his father in law's tax returns, everything is there.

cant lah. his father not in breach of anything how can check? besides bail money got nothing to do with taxes but more like his savings. u cant really probe his savings base on nothing.