Could this be the beginning of another
NKF- or
Ren
Ci-like scandal?
The
Office of the Commissioner of
Charities (COC) and the
Commercial Affairs Department
(CAD) are investigating financial transactions
involving several individuals and companies connected to
Singapore’s
City Harvest Church.
This came after the COC received complaints of misuse of church
funds against City Harvest Church.
Police have confirmed that Reverend
Kong Hee, the leader of the mega-church with over
33,000 members, is among those assisting in an on-going
investigation.
Kong Hee’s wife,
Sun Ho, is a pop
music singer, who currently resides in the United States. They
have a son, Dayan Kong
A joint statement issued Monday by the COC and police said CAD
officers visited the offices of the individuals and the companies
under investigation on Monday morning.
According to a
Straits
Times report, seven individuals were detained
in a raid at 6.30am and by noon, 12 people were said to be
assisting in investigations involving charges of falsification
of accounts and criminal breach of trust.
The charges are said to be unrelated to previous investigations
into City Harvest’s purchase of a S$310 million stake in
Suntec City Convention
Centre.
City Harvest members Yahoo! Singapore spoke
to, however, are unperturbed by the ongoing
investigations.
One of them, who wanted to be known as John, “I think its normal
for big organisations to be ‘audited’. We will just have to wait
and see what the outcome is from all this.”
Another member from the same church who preferred
to remain anonymous thought otherwise.
“I think this is just another case of ‘cry wolf’, out to
stir up trouble for Pastor Kong Hee, Sun and City Harvest,” she
said.
The COC and CAD have given assurances that despite the ongoing
investigations, services and religious activities of City Harvest
Church will continue for its congregation.
