Responding to the arguments put forth by the six City Harvest Church leaders the past three days, prosecutors are urging the High Court to uphold the convictions and appealing for longer sentences.

In court on Tuesday morning, Sept. 20, Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong had harsh words for the defence lawyers -- for treating the appeal process "as a re-hearing, an attempt to completely undo the findings of the trial judge".

Last year, the trial judge had found all six leaders guilty on all charges and sentenced them to between 21 months and eight years' jail.

The court found that they had invested S$24 million from the church's building fund in bogus bonds that was then used to fund the music career of Sun Ho -- CHC's founder Kong Hee's wife -- in a mission dubbed the "Crossover Project".

Later, another S$26 million of the fund was used to cover up the first amount.

In all, some S$50 million was involved.

Prosecutors said this was to "pull the wool over the eyes" of the church's auditors and "conceal the fact that Ms Ho's career was being funded by the church... to avoid dissent from within the church".

DPP Ong said of the sham: "The bonds were not worth the paper they were written on.”

The prosecution also called out the CHC leaders for committing the largest misappropriation of charity funds in Singapore, abusing their influence and for cultivating a culture of insecurity and secrecy within the church.

DPP Ong told the court that it was public knowledge that Ho was the "famous pastor Kong Hee's wife" and that Kong would come out to preach at the end of her concerts, so it was "strange" that the only thing that needed to be "secret" was the fact that Ho was funded by the church's building fund.

Offenders not only knew they were not authorised to use millions of building funds to enter into two sham bond investments with two church-linked and church-controlled companies, the bonds were excuses to put money into Kong Hee's hands, he also said.

DPP Ong added that these deceptions fatally undermine the offenders' defence that they entered into the transactions in good faith.

The prosecution had initially asked for much harsher sentences -- jail terms of between five to 12 years.

The six are appealing for their convictions to be overturned.

The hearing continued later in the afternoon.

The appeal will last until Wednesday and is being heard by Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin, and Justices Woo Bih Li and Chan Seng Onn.

H/T Channel News Asia, The Straits Times, Today

Related article:

Judge delivers sick burn during City Harvest Church appeal hearing

Kong Hee allegedly called Sun Ho the next Whitney Houston. Looking at their lyrics, we agree completely.

Top photo via City News

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