The founder and senior pastor of one of Singapore's largest megachurches was permanently barred from running any charity on Wednesday because of his abuse of millions of church funds.
Kong Hee, who ran City Harvest Church alongside five others jailed for misuse of charitable funds, are banned from having overall administrative control of any charity. But they will continue to 'perform their religious duties', the church said.
The office of the commissioner of charities (COC) said the move 'has a similar effect as a removal order, and would suffice to protect the charitable assets of the charity from the six convicted individuals, since they can no longer hold any governance or management positions in the charity'.
All six were found guilty of misusing nearly $35m in church funds in 2015 by spending it on the pop career of Kong's wife and fellow CHC pastor, Sun Ho.
They argued the money was used as part of CHC's efforts to spread the gospel through Ho's music.
The six including Kong, deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng, former CHC finance committee member John Lam, former CHC fund manager Chew Eng Han and former CHC finance managers Serina Wee and Sharon Tan, were jailed in November 2015 for between 21 months and eight years.
Those sentences were reduced after appeal the following April to between seven months and three and a half years.
The COC first intervened on the church in 2012 to prevent it paying legal costs for the six.
In a review of the proceedings, the body said: 'It is a pertinent consideration that the offences which the Six Convicted Individuals were convicted of, namely criminal breach of trust and/or falsification of accounts, involve dishonesty and/or deception.
'Pursuant to section 27(1)(a) of the Act, the six convicted individuals are thus permanently disqualified, under operation of law, from being a governing board member or key officer of a charity or a trustee for a charity as they have been convicted of offences involving dishonesty or deception.'
City Harvest Church accepted the ruling but in a statement on its website quoted the COC saying they 'may continue to perform their religious duties. The services of the Charity can continue as usual.'
Executive pastor Bobby Chaw said: 'This would mean that with the consent from COC the seven individuals — Pastor Kong, Pastor Tan, Serina, Sharon, John, Teo Meng How and Jacqueline Tan — could continue to perform their pastoral or religious duties within CHC.'
'For instance, with permission from COC, Pastor Kong could continue his role of teaching and preaching as Senior Pastor when he returns.'
'We ask members to continue praying for the five who are now serving their time, for their families, and for Church. Let's unite to make CHC a wiser, stronger and better church.'
