Bail for duo accused of helping Chew flee S'pore

Two men accused of helping former City Harvest Church (CHC) leader Chew Eng Han, 57, flee Singapore were offered bail yesterday.

Malaysian Khoo Kea Leng, 45, was offered bail of $20,000 while fish farm owner Tan Poh Teck's bail was set at $25,000.

Tan, 53, was also charged with another offence yesterday. He is accused of abetting one Goh Chun Kiat to leave Singapore by conveying him on a motorised boat from a beach near Changi, which is not an authorised place of embarkation, departing point or point of departure.

According to court papers, the boat then travelled to an area near a fish farm off Pulau Ubin, where Goh allegedly boarded another boat to Malaysia. Tan allegedly committed the offence around 9.30am on Aug 17 last year. Goh's details were not revealed in court papers.

Chew began his jail sentence of three years and four months last week for his role in the misuse of church funds. He was to begin his sentence for criminal breach of trust on Feb 22 but was nabbed at sea the day before while allegedly trying to flee to Malaysia on a motorised boat.

He is accused of leaving Singapore unlawfully at Pulau Ubin Jetty by boarding the motorised boat, which was about to leave Singapore for Malaysia on Feb 21 morning.

Five other church leaders - including founder-pastor Kong Hee - began serving their sentences for misusing church funds last April. But Chew, who was out on a $1 million bail, secured multiple deferments.

Tan was earlier charged with abetting the former CHC fund manager to leave Singapore by conveying him on the boat to the north-east part of Pulau Ubin, where Chew was to board another vessel for Malaysia.

Khoo, who was originally charged on Feb 28, is said to have conspired with Chew on Feb 20 to leave Singapore from an unauthorised point of departure.

Khoo allegedly collected $8,000 from the former church leader near Block 75, Marine Drive, as part payment for arranging the latter's transport to Malaysia.

Chew, Khoo and Tan will be back in court on March 29.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 08, 2018, with the headline Bail for duo accused of helping Chew flee S'pore. Subscribe