A letter
appealing for leniency, signed by 173 executive members of the church, was
submitted to the court and church members sobbed in the public gallery as the sentences
were read out.
The
co-founder of a Singapore church and five other leaders were sentenced to jail
terms of up to eight years on Friday, for fraudulently diverting millions of
dollars to support his wife's pop singing career.
The mix of faith and fraud
has fascinated tightly-regulated Singapore, where such cases are rare in an
affluent city-state with little tolerance for corruption.
Senior pastor Kong Hee
heads City Harvest Church, one of a growing number of Singapore's megachurches
preaching a "prosperity gospel" that blends spiritual and material
aspirations.
Six church officials were
convicted last month of diverting nearly S$51 million ($36 million) in funds to
advance the career of Kong's wife, Ho Yeow Sun.
They were sentenced on
Friday to jail terms of between 21 months and eight years, depending on how
involved they were in the fraud. The jail terms were delayed to January next
year, giving the defendants time to appeal.
Kong was arrested in 2012
and charged with criminal breach of trust and falsifying accounts. His wife,
the co-founder and executive director of the church, was not charged in the
case.
Ho has focused on the
Mandarin pop market and has released albums, including "Embrace",
through Warner Music Taiwan.
A video from her
English-language single, "China Wine", shows her dancing intimately
with rapper Wyclef Jean, sparking criticism that she had betrayed her calling
as a Christian pastor.
The promotion of Ho's
secular singing career was aimed at evangelizing to non-Christians.
Judge See Kee Oon said a
deterrent was needed after the embezzlement but acknowledged the defendants thought
they were helping the church and there was no evidence of personal gain.
The church, which had
17,500 members last year and branches in eight other countries from Japan to
India and the United States, has stuck by its leader.
No bi only Naija pastor dey steal money.
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