Apex court upholds jail terms for Harvest six

Convicted: The City Harvest six, (clockwise, from top left) Kong, Ye Peng, Wee, Lam, Chew and Sharon, were convicted of misusing millions in church funds. — The Straits Times/Asia News Network

SINGAPORE: In the final legal chapter of the City Harvest Church saga, a five-judge Court of Appeal dismissed a bid by prosecutors to reinstate the original convictions for church founder Kong Hee and five others convicted of misusing millions in church funds, which would have meant longer jail terms for them.

Yesterday’s decision meant that Kong, 53; deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng, 45; former finance manager Serina Wee, 41; and former finance committee member John Lam, 50, will continue serving out their existing and reduced jail terms of between one-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years, which began in April last year.