Trial opens for ex-Maris Stella principal accused of misusing funds

Former Maris Stella High School principal Anthony Tan turned up on Monday morning for the first day of trial after being accused of misappropriating school funds.

Anthony Tan Kim Hock, 65, allegedly used $150,000 worth of school funds for other purposes. He is believed to have committed the offences on 21 separate occasions between May 2004 and September 2009, when he was still the school's principal.

The prosecution is proceeding with one charge - where he is alleged to have misappropriated about S$67,700 from the school's chapel building fund account. The remaining 20 charges have been stood down for now.

The prosecution plans to call nine witnesses to the stand - the first being deputy superintendent of police Richard Wong from the commercial affairs.