CHC appeal will be heard in High Court in September
SINGAPORE — A five-day hearing in September this year has been scheduled in the High Court for the six former City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders who filed an appeal against their conviction and sentences.
Six City Harvest Church leaders were sentenced in court on Nov 20, 2015. They are (from top left to bottom right) CHC founder Kong Hee, 51, the church’s former second-in-command Tan Ye Peng, 42; Mr Chew Eng Han, 55; former church finance managers Sharon Tan, 40, and Serina Wee, 38, and former church board member John Lam, 47. Photo: Ernest Chua
SINGAPORE — A five-day hearing in September this year has been scheduled in the High Court for the six former City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders who filed an appeal against their conviction and sentences.
Former church investment manager Chew Eng Han revealed this to reporters on Friday (March 4) after a pre-trial conference in the High Court.
Mr Chew Eng Han, former City Harvest Church investment manager, leaving the Supreme Court on March 4, 2016. Photo: Robin Choo
Mr Chew said the counsels for the five church leaders and himself will be filing their submissions on Aug 18, instead of the original Sept 1.
This is to give the prosecution more time to study their submissions for the appeal, he added.
The court hearing is scheduled on Sept 19 to Sept 23.
Mr Chew said the hearing in September will be presided by Justice of Appeal Chao Hick Tin and High Court judges Chan Seng Onn and Woo Bih Li.
In December last year, the church leaders filed notices of appeal against their conviction and sentences at a closed-door hearing in the State Courts.
The six former church leaders were CHC founder Kong Hee, 51, the church’s former second-in-command Tan Ye Peng, 42; Mr Chew, 55, former church board member John Lam, 47; former church finance managers Sharon Tan,40 and Serina Wee, 38.
They were found guilty in October last year of criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts. They were sentenced to jail ranging from 21 months to eight years in November last year.
All of them are out on bail.
In November last year, the prosecution appealed against the sentences imposed on the church leaders after they found that the sentences were “manifestly inadequate, in all circumstances of the case”.
Previously, the prosecution has pressed for a jail sentence for the six leaders to be between five to 12 years each to reflect the gravity of their offences.
However, the district judge said there was no personal gain and no financial loss to the church although the case involved large amount of charity monies and serious breaches of trust.
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