Convicted CHC leaders barred from running any charities

SINGAPORE — The six former City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders convicted of misappropriating more than S$50 million in church funds have been permanently banned from running any charities, the Office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC) said on Wednesday (May 24).

The COC has also issued a new restriction order, barring the church from appointing or employing the six convicted ex-leaders and two others without its approval. 

The eight individuals are church founder Kong Hee, his former second-in-command Tan Ye Peng, former church board member Lam Leng Hung, former church finance managers Sharon Tan and Serina Wee, and former church fund manager Chew Eng Han, along with church staff members Kelvin Teo and Jacqueline Tan. 

The COC said that, in its review of the removal proceedings, a pertinent consideration was that the offences committed by the six former church leaders entailed “dishonesty and/or deception”. 

“(They) are thus permanently disqualified, under operation of law, from being a governing board member or key officer of a charity… or a trustee for a charity,” the COC said in a press release.

It would be an offence under the law if they assume any of these roles while disqualified. The disqualification — which has an effect similar to a removal order — means all six individuals would be banned permanently from controlling or managing any charity.

As for Kelvin Teo and Jacqueline Tan, the COC noted that they were “comparatively less culpable” than the six former leaders  “in the mismanagement and misconduct of the church”. The duo have also been abiding by a “voluntary suspension” from their posts in the church for a four-year period from 2013. Hence, they were issued “stern warning letters”, the COC added.

Restriction orders issued previously that prohibit the church from paying the legal fees of the six convicted former leaders and from entering transactions linked to the payment of services to all eight individuals 
and related entities stay in force, said the COC. 

The removal proceedings had previously been deferred “on a goodwill basis” until after the conclusion of the criminal proceedings for the six former church leaders. They resumed in November 2015 and were reviewed after the recent end to their criminal appeals in the High Court.

On April 7, the court had upheld their convictions, but gave all six former leaders shorter jail terms, after their charges for criminal breach of trust by an agent were reduced to a lesser one. Their sentences range from seven months to three years and six months’ jail.