CAD investigations scuppered Sun Ho’s US album release: Kong Hee

SINGAPORE — Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) investigations from May 2010 scuppered pop singer Ho Yeow Sun’s plans for the release of her debut English album, her husband and City Harvest Church co-founder Kong Hee said today (Aug 14) in court.

Kong and five other church leaders are facing criminal charges for allegedly misusing church funds to further Ms Ho’s career.

Preparations for her album continued under a new producer even after she parted ways with hip hop star Wyclef Jean after disagreement on fees, Kong said.

The album was slated for release in 2009 but in March and April that year, Ms Ho was hospitalised and had two operations for abdominal adhesions. She was in a critical condition, Kong added.

She recovered after the second operation and recorded her “Fancy Free” single in August or Sept 2009, which went on to top some dance charts in the US and UK. By May 2009, her album was substantially ready and was slated for release in August the following year.

Her US publicist had lined up many promotional activities, including television appearances, and wanted to pitch her for television programmes such as CSI and Dancing With The Stars. She was also to feature in magazines like Vogue and Marie Claire and major newspapers.

But she was summoned back to Singapore for investigations in June 2010 and could not start her radio tour in the US. The album’s failure to launch meant all the work and money invested went “down the drain” and church member Wahju Hanafi and his family had to make good the losses, Kong said.

The accused’s position is that church funds they invested in Ms Ho’s career were in the form of genuine bond investments in two companies linked to the church. Prosecutors charge that the bond investments were a sham, with no due diligence done before they were entered into.