related links: http://www.littlespeck.com/content/politics/CTrendsPolitics-070113.htm
Six leaders of City Harvest Church were being charged for embezzling more than $40 million to fund the music career of Sun Ho, the wife of City Harvest Church’s founder Kong Hee.The church allegedly staged false investments in two companies to cover up the financing of Sun Ho’s music career.
Similar cases have occurred in Singapore in the past; when the CEO of the National Kidney Foundation was charged for misusing charitable funds for personal agendas. I personally strongly condemn the act of abusing peoples’ faith in God. In this case, the accused argued that the act of financing Sun Ho’s career was a means to evangelize people. Such statements and testimonies by church leaders not only tarnishes the reputation of Christianity in the eyes of the public, but also cause many churchgoers to lose their faith in the religion. Hence the damage done as a result of this unethical breach of trust far outweighs mere financial embezzlement. I feel that the government should demand greater financial transparency in even religious organizations to prevent such events from reoccurring in the future.