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City Harvest trial: Kong did not care about church, says co-accused

SINGAPORE — City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee did not love the church and its members, and was not that concerned about it suffering losses, charged its former investment manager Chew Eng Han.

City Harvest Church trial: One of the accused, Kong Hee, July 14, 2014. TODAY file photo

City Harvest Church trial: One of the accused, Kong Hee, July 14, 2014. TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE — City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee did not love the church and its members, and was not that concerned about it suffering losses, charged its former investment manager Chew Eng Han.

Wrapping up his cross-examination today (Aug 19), Chew said that if Kong truly cared about the church getting back every dollar, he would have tried to salvage the songs that Ms Ho had already recorded for her US debut album. Kong could also have tried to sell the songs’ copyrights, or have Ms Ho return to the US to finish and launch the album, Chew said.

The album was part of the Crossover Project – the church’s way of evangelising through secular pop music. It was shelved after the Commercial Affairs Department launched an investigation into financial irregularities at the church in 2010.

“During the years of the bonds being issued for the Crossover, from 2007 and 2010, you could have put your own money into the Crossover, instead of buying personal properties for yourself,” Chew charged.

Kong said he did not agree that what Chew put to him was evidence he did not love the church.

Chew, who is representing himself, also produced documents accusing Kong of inflating church attendance numbers.

Both men are among six church leaders standing trial for allegedly using church monies to buy sham bonds to bankroll the secular music career of Kong’s wife Sun Ho. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

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