City Harvest Church members probed

[SwineHunter]

May 31, 2010
Church members probed

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ST FILE PHOTO

MEMBERS of Singapore's City Harvest Church are being investigated for the misuse of funds. The Office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) is looking into some financial transactions involving several individuals and companies related or connected to the church. This was revealed in a joint statement by the COC and the Singapore Police Force. Seven individuals were detained in a raid at 6.30am on Monday by the CAD. During the raid at their offices, the CAD secured records and accounts as part of the investigation. By lunch time, 12 people were said to be assisting in investigations which involve charges of falsification of accounts and criminal breach of trust.

The COC had received complaints of misuse of church funds and informed the CAD after assessing that some financial transactions may need to be looked into. The charges are said to be unrelated to previous investigations into City Harvest's purchase of a $310 million stake in Suntec City Convention Centre. The current investigations appear to be much more extensive as several of the complaints relate to specific incidents of alleged misuse of church funds many years earlier. In the joint statement, the COC and CAD said: 'Notwithstanding the ongoing investigations, normal services and religious activities of City Harvest Church need not be disrupted and can continue for its congregation.'

More details to come.

 

[SwineHunter]

Individuals, firms linked to City Harvest Church under probe
Posted: 31 May 2010 1524 hrs
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Singapore: The Office of the Commissioner of Charitiies (COC) has received complaints of misuse of church funds against City Harvest Church.

The COC has informed the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and they are investigating some financial transactions involving several individuals and companies related or connected to the City Harvest Church.

The COC which had received the complaints informed the CAD when it found that some of the financial transactions may need to be investigated.

A joint statement issued Monday by the COC and Police said CAD officers visited the offices of the individuals and the companies under investigation in the morning.

The officers secured records and accounts for the purpose of the investigations.

There have been assurances by the CAD and COC that despite the ongoing investigations, services and religious activities of City Harvest Church need not be disrupted and can continue for its congregation.

-CNA

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

City Harvest Church under investigation by CAD and Commissioner of Charities


City Harvest Church under investigation by CAD and Commissioner of Charities
04:00 PM May 31, 2010

<script type="text/javascript"> var fontIndex = 2; var fontSize = new Array('0.63em', '0.69em', '0.75em', '0.88em', '1em', '1.13em'); </script> The Office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) are investigating some financial transactions involving several individuals and companies related or connected to the City Harvest Church (CHC).

This was after the COC had received complaints of misuse of church funds and informed the CAD.

The CAD had assessed that it may need to investigate some of these financial transactions.

A joint statement by the COC and Police on said CAD officers visited the offices of the individuals and the companies under investigation on Monday morning.

Records and accounts were secured for the purpose of the investigations.

The CAD and CAD have assured that despite the ongoing investigations, the normal services and religious activities of the City Harvest Church need not be disrupted and can continue for its congregation.

The CHC was founded in 1989 by Pastor Kong Hee. According to its website, it has 47 affiliate churches in 2009, 29 of which comes under the direct supervision of CHC. The remaining 18 come under the Harvest School of Ministry led by Rev. George Ong.

In 2001, CHC built a 2,300-seater, titanium-clad church complex in Jurong West Street 91 for $48,000,000.

In March this year, CHC announced it is paying $310 million to become a co-owner of Suntec Singapore - this includes the cost of acquiring shares in the consortium which owns 80 per cent of a joint venture fund that owns Suntec Singapore.

 

[Guile]

Jun 1, 2010

Church members probed
Investigation into alleged misuse of church funds following complaints

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Police rounded up several individuals linked to the church for alleged misuse of church funds. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

A DAY after City Harvest Church completed a massive five-day seminar involving 30,000 people, foreign evangelists among them, police rounded up several individuals linked to the church for alleged misuse of church funds. The 17 people who are assisting police with investigations include the megachurch's founder, Senior Pastor Kong Hee, who was picked up early yesterday morning. Police also took away financial records and computers from the homes and offices of the people involved. They did not say what offences they were investigating.

A joint statement from the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and the Commercial Affairs Department said they were investigating 'several individuals and companies, related or connected' to the church. The four-paragraph statement said the Commissioner had received complaints of the misuse of church funds. It had looked into the matter and decided that the police should become involved. The authorities gave the assurance that the church's normal services and religious activities 'need not be disrupted and can continue for its congregation'.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]

 

[zuoom]

and what would they find?

so what if the companies n individuals are linked to CHC? (as in what would/can happen?)

 

[Watchman]

 

[SwineHunter]

Jun 2, 2010
CHURCH MEMBERS PROBED
City Harvest followers rally
Facebook group set up; prominent members showing their support

<!-- by line --> By Carolyn Quek & Ang Yiying
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Churchgoers meeting for bible study at the church's Boon Lay grounds yesterday said they were not worried. --PHOTO: NP

<!-- story content : start --> CITY Harvest churchgoers rallied around their leaders a day after news that Pastor Kong Hee and 16 other church members were being investigated for allegedly misusing church funds. Followers said they were praying and confident that the church of 33,000 worshippers would ride out the storm. A group pledging support has been set up on Facebook. But the probe has begun to take a toll.

City Harvest's church in Kuala Lumpur announced on its Twitter site yesterday that its service with Pastor Kong this weekend has been cancelled. No reason was given. On Monday, police from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) called in 17 church members for questioning at the Cantonment Complex, and also took away files and documents from their homes for investigations. Churchgoers meeting for bible study at the church's Boon Lay grounds yesterday said they were not worried.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Mou Zongxiao and Bryan Toh

this is absolutely a sad fucking case for SG!!

i salute those buddhist temples that provide free food for the poor, not like those sad f**k CHC or NCC that enrich their freaking pastors and totally make a mockery out of Jesus' teaching.

 

[Taishi Ci]

Originally Posted by fishbuff

this is absolutely a sad fucking case for SG!!

i salute those buddhist temples that provide free food for the poor, not like those sad f**k CHC or NCC that enrich their freaking pastors and totally make a mockery out of Jesus' teaching.

Jun 3, 2010
City Harvest not affected

<!-- by line --> By Liew Hanqing, Carolyn Quek & Melissa Sim
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Church members contacted by The Straits Times said they remained unfazed by the probe and were solidly behind their leaders. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE LIM

ACTIVITIES at City Harvest Church will continue as planned this weekend despite an ongoing probe involving individuals and companies linked to it.
In what it said was a response to e-mails and kind words of encouragement from members, the church posted a notice on its website yesterday evening that was signed by executive pastor Derek Dunn. In it, Mr Dunn said the church was unable to furnish the congregation with any updates on the probe as police investigations were continuing.

He added: 'Nevertheless, we would like to assure you that our church has cooperated and will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities, and the investigations are in no way affecting our church activities.' Church members contacted by The Straits Times said they remained unfazed by the probe and were solidly behind their leaders. Some have formed an online prayer group on social networking site Facebook and have also posted encouraging messages on the church leaders' Facebook and Twitter pages.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.