KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyers involved in the Singapore City Harvest Church misuse of funds and corruption case have said the statement made by the Church's executive pastor could be seen as risky, and could be “construed as interfering with judicial process,” they said on Saturday. Singapore's City Harvest Church Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain said on Thursday evening that he and his Church stand by members accused of embezzling and misusing funds. He said the Church will maintain support for the accused throughout the court proceedings. Another pastor from the Church, Bobby Chaw, added that City Harvest has “actively worked to ensure good governance and have complied with codes set by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports." Five members of City Harvest Church were charged by a court on Wednesday of corruption, misuse of funds and embezzlement, Channel NewsAsia reported. The report said the court charged City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee with three charges, while senior pastor Tan Ye Peng faces 10 charges. Finance manager Tan Shao Yuen faces seven charges. Senior member Chew Eng Han also faces 10 charges and former secretary of the church's management board Lam Leng Hung faces three charges. The five allegedly diverted some S$23 million (RM57 million) of the church's money to fund Ho Yeow Sun's music career in the United States. Ho is Kong Hee's wife. CNA said they were charged for another S$26.6 million (RM66 million) of misappropriated funds, used to redeem “sham bonds" to cover their tracks. The case was adjourned and the next session will take place in July. The Straits Times had reported that Kong, Tan Ye Peng and three other church leaders were detained by police at their homes early on Tuesday morning and taken in for questioning over the alleged misuse of church funds as well as alleged “breaches under charity laws." This latest development comes two years after the Commercial Affairs Department started a probe into the alleged misuse of church funds in May 2010.
