Daily Lessons from Life 26 June 2012 - City Harvest church founder Kong Hee and 4 others arrested

"City Harvest church founder Kong Hee and 4 others arrested - AsiaOne Jun 26, 2012

SINGAPORE - Founder of City Harvest Church Kong Hee was arrested together with four others from his ministry on Tuesday morning.

Mr Kong, deputy Pastor Tan Ye Peng, and three other leaders from their church were picked up from their homes early this morning.

They were taken in for questioning over alleged misuse of church funds and alleged breaches under charity laws.

The police said that the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) has conducted a thorough investigation and will be charging Kong Hee, Tan Ye Peng, Lam Leng Hung, Chew Eng Han and Tan Shao Yuen Sharon for Conspiracy to commit Criminal Breach of Trust as an Agent under section 409 read with section 109 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224.

Tan Ye Peng, Chew Eng Han and Tan Shao Yuen Sharon will also be charged for Conspiracy to commit Falsification of Accounts under section 477A of the Penal Code, Chapter 224.

All five will be charged in court for the offences on June 27, 2012.

In a statement today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Teo Chee Hean said: "I would like to stress that the charges filed by CAD are against five individuals from the City Harvest Church (CHC) regarding the use of Church funds. They are not filed against CHC itself. The CHC is free to continue its church services and activities.

"CAD carries out investigations when it receives information that a criminal offence may have been committed. CAD had previously investigated the National Kidney Foundation and Ren Ci.

"As the matter is now before the courts, we should let the law take its course and avoid speculation or making pre-judgements that may unnecessarily stir up emotions.""

At long last the people responsible for running the CHC and had gone astray are being charged for misplacing the trust vested in them.

Lessons for me are:

1. it is difficult for me to attribute all the riches in the world to the theory that some almighty being(s) is/are looking after your because you worship it/them. Some people believed in the almighty but for reasons other than it/them make them wealthy. That makes sense to me but not the former;

2. it is NOT the religion what is on trial but the PEOPLE who run the Church. It has been repeated so very often that it is simply shocking and puzzling to understand WHY many intelligent and smart people who follow the LEADERS of religious order cannot see or REFUSED to see the truth when others can see or smell from a hundred miles away that something is wrong! I guessed when emotion is aroused, rationality has no chance of being heard let alone win!!;

3. it would be interesting to learn WHEN did the Good People began to stray from the straight path. With quite a few corruption cases involving fairly senior people in the private, public and people (i.e. charities) sections in Singaore, the National Publisher should compile a Memoir much like that of the many published by Mr Lee Kuan Yew, founder of modern Singapore, to help Singaporeans - current and future generation - to know WHY good people stray and WHAT can we do to STOP making the SAME MISTAKES or to Vanquish any temptations to stray.

May the Good stay good and may the Strays get back on track after they are severely dealt with by the laws and they had paid their dues.

It is NOT the religion. It is Individual responsibility! Period!!