Commissioner of Charities acts to remove City Harvest leaders
The Commissioner of Charities (COC) on Tuesday announced its intention to remove eight City Harvest Church leaders from their positions in the organisation, two months ahead of the lapse of their suspension periods.
The eight include senior pastor and church founder Kong Hee and pastor Tan Ye Peng, who also serves as vice-chairman of the church board, as well as its chairman Lam Leng Hung.
Also named are executive members Kelvin Teo Meng How, Tan Shao Yuen Sharon, Chew Eng Han, Tan Su Pheng Jacqueline and Serina Wee Gek Yin.
Kong’s pop-star wife, Ho Yeow Sun, who is also co-founder of the church, was also suspended from her membership last year, but a statement from the COC said there is insufficient evidence to prove her co-responsibility for the scandal, and so it will not be commencing removal proceedings against her.
Suspensions for all except Wee commenced last year on 26 June, while Wee’s suspension will lapse on 23 July this year. The COC said it is considering the removal of the eight from their positions in order to “protect the charitable property of the (church)”.
Removal from their positions means that the eight leaders will have their executive memberships in City Harvest terminated, and they will be banned from resuming their memberships for at least two years. The COC noted, however, that these removal proceedings occur independently of the ongoing criminal trial that involves Kong, Lam, Tan Ye Peng, Sharon Tan, Chew and Wee. The six have been accused of misappropriating at least S$23 million from their parish.
The statement from the COC also said that pastors Kong and Tan can continue their religious duties, which it noted are separate from the holding of governance or management positions within the church.
Responding to the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, Kong said in a statement from his lawyers that he is confident that there is no basis for the COC’s actions, and will approach them with representations on the matter in due course.
He said he was surprised at the COC’s course of action, noting that it had not previously explained how City Harvest’s property could be at risk to the extent that it was necessary to suspend him and the other seven leaders, including his wife, from their memberships.
Kong also said that he and Ho had in February this year agreed to a proposal by the COC, made toward the end of last year, to voluntarily extend their suspension orders until six months after the conclusion of the trial for the six leaders. This, said the COC, was in order to allow them enough time to focus on the criminal proceedings and to make their case during the removal process, if it is subsequently advanced.
Eight of the nine suspended leaders had eventually agreed to the proposal advanced by the COC, it said, but when it sought confirmation from them of their agreement to the voluntary extension, only five were prepared to do so — when the terms of the deal was that all nine leaders agreed to it.
Responding to this, Kong said this situation “is however not something that is within (his) control”, and said he planned to seek clarification on why a deadline for responses and representations has been set for two days before the start of his trial — 15 May.
In a separate statement published on the church’s website, executive pastor Aries Zulkarnain told City Harvest worshippers about the situation, seeking their prayers for the eight leaders and members.
“This is a very challenging time for our eight Church leaders and members, their families and our Church. Please continue to pray ceaselessly for them and for the Church,” he wrote.
