The High Court heard on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 the appeal of former City Harvest Church leader Chew Eng Han.

Chew, 57, was sentenced to six years' jail last November for his part in misappropriating S$50 million of church funds.

Representing himself, he argued that "there was no misappropriation" and he had, in fact, "suffered" because of his blind faith in the church.

As he had believed "100 percent" in the cause, he and his family even donated S$1 million towards the Crossover Project church mission, where funds were used to fuel the pop music career of Sun Ho.

Chew told the court: "I'm not a taker to the church. I'm a giver, and thieves don't give to the owners of the property."

Having done so, it is "illogical for me to want to cause loss to the church," he said.

Worst. Conspiracy. Ever.

Referring to an e-mail by Kong in 2005, Chew said that the pastor, who regularly played up Ho's success, had told church leaders that his wife was a "singing diva".

Chew also said Kong told him that she would be the "next Whitney Houston".

When Justice Chan Seng Onn asked Chew: "So you were brainwashed?", he replied: "Yes, I was."

Chew also told the court the funding of the Crossover Project had been a "secret" because "Kong Hee was afraid of being exposed for rigging Sun Ho's success".

"Kong's guilt should not be automatically imputed to others,” Chew said.

Kong also wrote in the e-mail: “I need our members to be super proud of her and realise that we do have a singing diva in our midst.”

"I thought she was a megastar,” Chew said.

In reality, the church had bought up unsold copies of Ms Ho’s albums, the court heard.

"If this was a conspiracy, it is the worst thought-out conspiracy ever,” Chew said.

Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin responded: "It looks that way to me too.”

Laughter broke out from the public gallery.

Thursday, Sept. 15, was the first of five days of appeals by the six church leaders before a three-judge panel consisting of Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin and Justices Woo Bih Li and Chan Seng Onn.

H/T Channel News Asia, The Straits Times

Top photo via Wikipedia, City News

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