By Nurul Azliah Aripin | Yahoo Newsroom – Fri, Nov 27, 2015
City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee arrives at court for his sentencing hearing Friday, Nov. 20, 2015 in Singapore. The founder of the popular Singapore church was found guilty Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, of misappropriating about $35 million in donations to support his wife’s singing career in Asia before helping her break into the U.S. market for evangelization purposes. (AP Photo/Joseph Nair)
A week after six City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders convicted for fraud were sentenced to prison, the prosecution filed an appeal on Friday, saying the sentences ranging from 21 months to eight years were “manifestly inadequate”.
In a media statement issued by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the prosecution said it was appealing against the sentences imposed on all the six accused.
On Friday last week, Judge See Kee Oon sentenced CHC co-founder Kong Hee to eight years in jail, the longest of the sentences handed down.
Former finance manager Sharon Tan got the lightest sentence of 21 months in jail.
Ex-finance committee member John Lam was sentenced to three years in jail, former finance manager Serina Wee to five years, deputy pastor Tan Ye Peng to five years and six months, and former CHC fund manager Chew to six years.
All of the six individuals were convicted last month of criminal breach of trust involving S$24 million and using S$26.6 million to cover it up in a bid to boost the pop music career of Kong’s wife, Sun Ho, in the US.
In a Facebook post later that day of his sentencing, Kong said he was “saddened” by the length of the sentence.
“I am presently studying the judgement and sentence carefully with my lawyers, and will make a meaningful decision whether to appeal in due course,” he said.
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