Ren Ci Monk Ming Yi on trial today

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

April 2, 2009
Ming Yi on trial today
By Carolyn Quek

Ming Yi, whose real name is Goh Kah Heng, faces 10 charges. The 47-year-old is accused of forgery, lying to the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and misappropriating $350,000, among other things. --ST PHOTO: ALBERT SIM

THE former chief executive officer of Ren Ci Hospital is expected in a district court from today to answer charges related to the charity's financial affairs.
Ming Yi, the high-profile monk, will be tried with his former personal executive Raymond Yeung Chi Hang.

The court has set aside time until April 24 to hear the case.

Ming Yi, whose real name is Goh Kah Heng, faces 10 charges. The 47-year-old is accused of forgery, lying to the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and misappropriating $350,000, among other things.

When the charges were laid before the Buddhist monk nine months ago, he was suspended from all operational, governance and management duties at Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre and five other Buddhist temples and charities.

Yeung, 34, and two others were charged on July 15 last year. Yeung faces two charges, including one of helping Ming Yi forge a Ren Ci document.

Another former member of Ren Ci's staff, David Phua Seow Hua, 48, faces one count of lying to the COC, but his case has been stood down for now. The third man, Pang Leong Chuan, 28, a former aide of Ming Yi, was fined $37,500 last September for hoarding more than 100 obscene films.

Ming Yi's trial comes on the back of his appearance in court last month, during which his lawyer tried unsuccessfully to have the trial transferred to the High Court.

Senior Counsel Andre Yeap told the court his client made this request because he feared he would not get a fair trial. Mr Yeap explained that Mr Tan Siong Thye, the former head of the Commercial Affairs Department who had investigated Ming Yi, was now the Subordinate Courts' top judge and since he assessed all district judges, the presiding judge in Ming Yi's trial might lean towards the prosecution.

High Court judge Choo Han Teck rejected the application, saying the fear was unwarranted.

 

[halsey02]

Senior Counsel Andre Yeap told the court his client made this request because he feared he would not get a fair trial. Mr Yeap explained that Mr Tan Siong Thye, the former head of the Commercial Affairs Department who had investigated Ming Yi, was now the Subordinate Courts' top judge and since he assessed all district judges, the presiding judge in Ming Yi's trial might lean towards the prosecution.

High Court judge Choo Han Teck rejected the application, saying the fear was unwarranted.
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What a joke!..the courts in SINgapore are the fairest! heh heh heh

 

[postnew]

明义：我不认罪

 

[Einfield]

明义：我不认罪

It's up to the power players behind him now, to decide his fate.

Like Durai, serve some time to put out the fire then come out clean.

If he's looking for a fair trial? This is the wrong country.

 

[leetahbar]

like i said before. people dunno, it would be VENERABLE monk. people know now, it's veneral VD monk. once he was holy unknown but now he's even better HOOLEEY known!!

 

[halsey02]

like i said before. people dunno, it would be VENERABLE monk. people know now, it's veneral VD monk. once he was holy unknown but now he's even better HOOLEEY known!!

VD Holey monk!! they conviently forgot to mention about 'educational materials' found in the CONDOMinum he shares with his assistant !?

 

[leetahbar]

VD Holey monk!! they conviently forgot to mention about 'educational materials' found in the CONDOMinum he shares with his assistant !?

ok then add VD very HOOLEEY monk.

 

[leetahbar]

It's up to the power players behind him now, to decide his fate.

Like Durai, serve some time to put out the fire then come out clean.

If he's looking for a fair trial? This is the wrong country.

peanut lady no longer his fairy godmother. any fairy godfather backing him by the way?

 

[leetahbar]

er...fairy godfather holy cow, maybe??:p

 

[laukk]

If our honourable Monk has done nothing wrong, why fear who is the judge ??? The trial will be fair to everybody.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

April 2, 2009
Monk Ming Yi trial
Monk gave aide $50k loan

Ming Yi (left) was charged last year with 10 counts, among them defrauding the charity, forgery and helping to falsify its accounts. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

THE highly anticipated trial of former Ren Ci chief executive Ming Yi opened on Thursday morning, with the prosecution alleging that the Buddhist monk had given his former aide, Raymond Yeung, $50,000 to renovate Yeung's friend's flat in Hong Kong.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jaswant Singh, said its side will show that Ming Yi had conspired with Yeung to hide this payment by categorising it as a loan to Mandala Buddhist Cultural Centre. Ming Yi had a share in the centre, a business which used to sell Buddhist artefacts.

Ming Yi, who founded the Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, was charged last year with 10 counts, among them defrauding the charity, forgery and helping to falsify its accounts.

DPP Singh said the prosecution will go ahead to prove four charges, while the other charges will be stood down.

He called two witnesses to the stand before lunch and they are Ms Lynda Soong, the Health Ministry's (MOH) representative and Mr Winston Ngan, partner of Ernst & Young. Ernst & Young was the auditors hired by the MOH to conduct an in-depth inquiry into Ren Ci's books in 2007.

Senior Counsel Andre Yeap, defending the monk, said the $50,000 was loan from Ren Ci to Mandala and was reflected in debtor's confirmation letters that Mandala had given to Ren Ci.

 

[postnew]