Should the Court of Appeals rule in favor of the state prosecutors, the group planned to request the court to restore the original jail sentences meted out. "Given their view, of the gravity of the offenses, and the huge sum of money involved, the perception was that the reduced punishment meted out by the High Court did not commensurate with the severity of the offenses," Tan told the South China Morning Post.Īll six were found guilty of criminal breach of trust due to their misappropriation of $50 million of City Harvest Church's fund in 2015. Singapore Management University law professor, Eugene Tan, believes the new ruling did not seem enough, considering the severity of the case which affects the public's interest. City Harvest Church of Singapore Pastors Sun Ho and husband Kong Hee are seen in this photo shared online by Kong on Aug. This was a reduction from his orignal sentence of five years and six months. The controversial decision prompted state prosecutors who are members of the Attorney-General's Chambers, to question the panel's interpretation of the criminal breach of trust charges against the six and to appeal the decision.įour days since the new ruling was handed, the AGC sent a criminal reference to the Court of Appeals to plead for a definitive ruling on "questions of law of public interest" that pertained to the charge of criminal breach of trust filed against the six CHC members. CHC deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng, 49, was jailed three years and two months. The panel later decided to lessen their prison sentences. SINGAPORE When Presiding Judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon sentenced six City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders last year for misappropriating S50.6 million of church funds, he had. The three-judge panel found all six to be guilty of criminal breach of trust but with less serious implications. Kong received the most significant deduction in jail time as his sentence of eight years was reduced to three years and six months. Jail sentences for CHC founder Kong Hee, former finance managers Sharon Tan and Serina Wee, assistant senior pastor Tan Ye Peng, ex-fund manager Chew Eng Han, and former finance committee member John Lam were reduced significantly following a split decision from the High Court, which heard their appeal. The embezzlement case against Singapore's City Harvest Church (CHC) is far from over as state prosecutors announced that they will send the case to the Court of Appeals following the High Court's ruling to slash the six church leaders' sentences.
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