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Ren Ci probe

thinknothing

New Member
Reverend Ming Yi, chief of the Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, who is a public and well-known figure in charity shows that were held for the past few years, had been charged in court for several offences concerning the hospital’s financial affairs. Amongst the charges include fraud, forgery and falsification of accounts. He allegedly forged documents to cheat auditors and provided false information to the Commissioner of Charities.

Due to this probe, the hospital has lost its status to provide tax exemptions to donors. 2 other staff were also charged with Reverend Ming Yi. A 4th person, who is not involved in the financial affairs of the hospital, was also charged for possession of obscene films at a residence that is co-owned by the abbot and the Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery.

Reverend Ming Yi is currently out on bail and his case will be heard again on 4th August 2008.

10 Charges against Ming Yi
# Defrauding the charity
# Helping to falsify accounts
# Forgery
# Giving false information
# Sum involved: $300,000

By Chong Chee Kin

BUDDHIST monk Ming Yi, the flamboyant chief of the Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, was accused yesterday of several offences concerning its financial affairs.

The 46-year-old, whose real name is Goh Kah Heng, was charged with defrauding the charity, forgery and helping to falsify its accounts, all offences under the Penal Code.

He was also accused of forging documents to cheat auditors and giving false information to the Commissioner of Charities, both before and after a probe was initiated last November by the Ministry of Health (MOH), which is in charge of medical charities. These are breaches of the Charities Act and Penal Code.

The sums involved totalled about $300,000. Ming Yi faces up to a year’s jail for providing false information to the Commissioner, and up to seven years’ jail for forgery.

Accompanied by a few friends and a team of three lawyers headed by Senior Counsel Andre Yeap, the saffron-robed monk had the 10 charges read to him in English in a district court.

Ren Ci is the second large charity involved in court proceedings following the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) scandal that ended with its former chief T.T. Durai going to jail.

Like the NKF, Ren Ci ran big annual fund-raising shows which reaped millions of dollars in donations, and the highlight every year was a stunt performed by Ming Yi.

In the wake of the probe, Ren Ci, which runs a hospital for the chronically ill, lost its right to promise its donors tax exemptions.

Yesterday, a solemn Ming Yi found himself accused of fiddling with the charity’s accounts by re-classifying personal loans he took from it.

He is said to have moved those loans to the Mandala Buddhist Cultural Centre, a business he had a share in, or categorised them as part of advances given to him to invest on behalf of Ren Ci.

He is also accused of trying to cover his tracks by showing investigators fake documents to back his claims.

He is said to have conspired with two others to produce the false documents to mislead the Commissioner of Charities.

Raymond Yeung Chi Hang, 33, Ming Yi’s former personal executive, and David Phua Seow Hwa, 47, a manager at Ren Ci, were named as his co-conspirators and charged yesterday too.

Other charges relate to a $50,000 loan Ming Yi allegedly made to Yeung while he was Ren Ci’s chief executive, and a $300,000 donation. Court documents accuse him of dishonestly misappropriating these sums.

The MOH said in a statement yesterday that the Commissioner of Charities had suspended Ming Yi from his office as the charity’s chief executive officer and executive positions in five other charities including Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery where he was abbot.

But Ren Ci said Ming Yi had resigned voluntarily.

He was freed on bail of $200,000 and is due back in court on Aug 4.

[email protected]
 

Anson

New Member
To me, this whole scandal involving the Venerable Shi Ming Yi is making me cast serious doubts about charitable institutions in Singapore. First NKF, now Ren Ci… what’s next?

Then again, somehow, I can’t bring myself to hate the monk vis-à-vis T.T. Durai though… something about the bald head and the robe makes a man looks sincere and vulnerable. I do hope he can be cleared of his charges. Let’s wait and see how his case develops over the next few months.
 

bebo

Alfrescian
Loyal
To me, this whole scandal involving the Venerable Shi Ming Yi is making me cast serious doubts about charitable institutions in Singapore. First NKF, now Ren Ci… what’s next?

If the ministers and the top civil servants would donate 10% of their million dollars pay, there won't be really need for donation from the public.
 

BlueCat

Alfrescian
Loyal
another thread on Ren Ci.

he had been doing it since 1998 as stated in the newspaper and make a lot of people realised that why he started to do those stunts from 2003 onwards.
maybe he needs to generate more donations and then he can divert or 'loan" some again to his other interests.

read in the papers that about 10k of people withdraw their monthly contributions or some big companies also withdraw,and their collections shreak by almost 8mil.
 

tommy

Alfrescian
Loyal
It is time such crooks be brought to justice. You can't trust them anymore. Any more scandals?? What about the government and those GIC dealings?? Boy, there is corruption everywhere. Don't blame them. Who don't get tempted by money. Even the PAP ministers get tempted by money. Mean time, why donate when these people abuse their position.
 

tonychat

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
It is time such crooks be brought to justice. You can't trust them anymore. Any more scandals?? What about the government and those GIC dealings?? Boy, there is corruption everywhere. Don't blame them. Who don't get tempted by money. Even the PAP ministers get tempted by money. Mean time, why donate when these people abuse their position.

Why is it an EVEN for the PAP ministers? They are just normal human being and worst still, a sinkie.

IN my opinion, only sinkies are tempted by money that comes easily.
 
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monkey4

Alfrescian
Loyal
Both Charities - NKF and Ren Ci under Commissioner of Charities which comes under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health..... seems a parallel to Ministry of Home Affairs...

One let Marni escapes, One let Mas escapes... :biggrin:
 

southwest

Alfrescian
Loyal
Reverend Ming Yi, chief of the Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre

Monks should stay out of management or executive position.

A true monk will refrain from such appointment and will choose to remain in the temple.

For Ming Yi to be the chief of the Ren Ci Hospital, you know he is not a holy man after all. The CEO job at Ren Ci Hospital is a five figure salary job. No true monk will accept such money. Now you see Ming Yi lives in a private condo while peasants who donated blood soaked money rot it out in the HDB slumps.
 

Lee5604

Alfrescian
Loyal
Hi

Is is the monk that appeared on MediCorp's fund raising event for Ren Ci?

The young monk (maybe in his early 30s)?

Just wanted to be sure.
 
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