SINGAPORE : Seventy-three-year old retiree Emily Chan has
started court proceedings against her former parish priest Joachim
Kang.
She wants to claim shares and money, worth a total of some S$1.5
million, that she said she had entrusted to the priest.
Father Kang's case is that she meant for these assets to be gifts
to him.
In dispute are assets that were transferred to the priest between
1994 and 2002, including 394,000 Guinness Anchor shares, 350,000
ringgit in cash and S$42,000.
Father Kang is currently serving a seven and a half year sentence
for embezzling some S$5 million from the Roman Catholic Church in
Singapore.
Emily Chan and Joachim Kang had what was referred to in court as a
close and trusting relationship for some 15 years.
He has been called her spiritual director and confidante and the
two have even taken holidays together.
Emily Chan, a wealthy church donor, had drawn up a will in August
1998 appointing the priest as trustee and executor.
The case is expected to continue until the end of this week. -
CNA