Sun Ho could have been in CSI

Church founder says it was part of 'comprehensive plan' to launch her album

Gossip Girl. CSI. Dancing With The Stars.

These are major TV shows associated with big names in the American entertainment industry.

And Sun Ho was set to appear in these programmes as part of her publicity plan in the US, ahead of the release of her English album in 2010.

But she was summoned back to Singapore for investigations into the alleged misuse of City Harvest Church (CHC) funds, said her husband and CHC founder Kong Hee.

As a result, the plans for the album release were scuppered, he said, as he continued to take the stand for the defence yesterday.

"All the work we have put in, the money we have put in all these years, they have just gone down the drain," he said.

Kong and five other CHC leaders are accused of misusing more than $50 million of church money through sham bonds.

Some of this money was allegedly used to fund the music career of singer Sun Ho through two companies - music production firm Xtron and glass manufacturer Firna.

Kong, 49, is the second accused to take the stand after former board member John Lam.

Kong told the court yesterday that Ho's English album, which was never released, was originally slated to be rolled out in 2009.

But in March that year, Ho was hospitalised for six weeks after suffering from an abdominal adhesion, which is an intestinal blockage.

She underwent two major operations and was in "critical condition" at one point, he added. This delayed the release, Kong said.

Ho, however, recovered "very quickly" and a large-scale marketing proposal was pitched to drum up publicity ahead of the Aug 17 album launch in 2010, he said.

'STARTING POINT'

Kong said Ho was to go for a radio tour of New York City, which was "usually the starting point for every major album", on June 15, 2010.

She was also slated to appear in major US TV series and entertainment programmes, such as Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and E! News.

Ho was also supposed to be featured in high-profile magazines - such as Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire - and major newspapers.

"It's quite a comprehensive plan. They were really going to plan for a very major launch," he said.

He added that her then-latest single, Fancy Free, topped the US Billboard Dance Chart and the UK Music Week Dance Chart in March 2010.

"The team in the US was very excited because in March she just hit number 1 again, on both UK and US (dance charts)," he said.

But Ho was summoned to Singapore a few days before the start of her radio tour in June 2010 by the Commercial Affairs Department, said Kong.

Her passport was also impounded until sometime after May 2013.

"She couldn't start her radio tour, but in the US they were still hoping... for her to go back in time... to release the album.

"But when she passed the Aug 17 date... they realised what happened and that she couldn't go back. There was no possibility whatsoever of any recoverability from those albums," he said.

Kong added that Indonesian tycoon and church devotee Wahju Hanafi - who had pledged to be a guarantor for the Crossover Project in the US - and his family had to "make good" all the losses suffered by the US album project.

During the hearing yesterday, Kong also mistakenly addressed Presiding Judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon as "Lord" instead of "Your Honour" on an occasion, sending the courtroom into laughter as Kong sheepishly grinned while biting his tongue.

Kong's lawyer, Mr Edwin Tong, wrapped up the examination of his client yesterday.

Kong was then cross-examined by the lawyers for Lam and CHC finance manager Sharon Tan, followed by former church investment manager Chew Eng Han

Chew, who is representing himself, told Kong that his answer about an e-mail, which was shown earlier regarding the purchase of a Riverwalk property by Xtron, was "incorrect".

But Kong maintained that his answer was based on his understanding, even though he said "I stand corrected".

Chew then said that this was a matter of interpretation and that "I think I'm having difficulty to sort of have common frequency with Pastor Kong".

He will continue to cross-examine Kong today.

rloh@sph.com.sg

About the case

City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee and five others are on trial for allegedly misusing church funds through sham bonds.

This includes $24 million to fund the music career of Kong's wife Sun Ho and another $26.6 million to cover up the first amount.

They are said to have done this through production firm Xtron and glass manufacturer Firna, which are run by long-time supporters of the megachurch.

Kong, former board member John Lam, finance manager Sharon Tan, former investment manager Chew Eng Han, deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng and former finance manager Serina Wee, face varying charges of criminal breach of trust and/or falsifying accounts.

Prosecutors had sought to show how Xtron and Firna directors had simply done the bidding of the accused.

The defence has argued that the transactions were legitimate, with the accused acting "in good faith" on the advice of lawyers and auditors

This article was first published on August 15, 2014.
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