SINGAPORE - The man accused of helping convicted former church leader Chew Eng Han flee Singapore allegedly received $8,000 as deposit for his role.

Khoo Kea Leng, 45, is accused of collecting this amount in cash from Chew as part-payment for Chew to escape to Malaysia.

Khoo, a Malaysian, is suspected of having discussed escape plans with Chew in a carpark at Block 75, Marine Drive, near East Coast Park.

Khoo was charged on Wednesday (Feb 28) with abetting the escape bid.

He allegedly conspired with the former City Harvest Church fund manager on Feb 20 to leave Singapore from an unauthorised place of embarkation, departing point or point of departure.

Chew was nabbed on a motorised sampan during his alleged attempt to escape on Feb 21.

The father of two was arrested at sea with a boatman, Tan Poh Teck, 53. About $5,000 in cash, as well as fishing equipment, was also found with them.

Both men were charged on Feb 22, and will return to court on Thursday.

Chew was due to begin his jail term of three years and four months on Feb 22, after he and five others were convicted of misappropriating church funds in the largest fraud involving charity money in Singapore's history.

Malaysian police who arrested Khoo in Johor Baru handed him to Singapore police on Monday, following a warrant of arrest issued by Singapore State Courts, a police spokesman said.

Khoo will be remanded at Central Police Division for a week for investigation. The case will come up for mention on March 7.

If convicted, Khoo faces a jail term of not less than six months and not more than two years, plus a fine of up to $6,000.