Judge throws out application to acquit City Harvest Church leaders

Kong Hee (right) and his wife Ho Yeow Sun leaving at the Court for the City Harvest Church trial. -- ST FILE PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
Kong Hee (right) and his wife Ho Yeow Sun leaving at the Court for the City Harvest Church trial. -- ST FILE PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

The trial against City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee and five others will continue, and all six of them will testify. The trial resumes July 14.

Their defence lawyers had claimed the prosecution had not done enough to show there was a case against the accused, and called on Presiding Judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon to throw out all of the charges.

But on Monday, the judge rejected this, saying that there was enough evidence for the trial to continue with all of the charges intact. "In my view there is evidence to show that the investments were shams... and were merely disguises for something else," he said.

He was referring to several bond transactions which the prosecution believes were illegal and a way for the accused to misuse church funds. About $50 million is alleged to have been illegally used in various sham transactions to finance Kong's wife Ho Yeow Sun's pop music career and to cover this up.

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