Prosecution appeal against City Harvest sentences to proceed: AGC

The prosecution in the trial against six convicted City Harvest Church leaders will be proceeding with an appeal against the prison terms of all six.

“The prosecution will be proceeding with the appeal against the sentences imposed on the six accused persons, and we have accordingly filed our Petition of Appeal on Jan 15,” the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said in a statement issued on Monday (Jan 18).

The six - CHC founder Kong Hee, 51; the church’s former second-in-command Tan Ye Peng, 42; former church investment manager Chew Eng Han, 55; former church board member John Lam, 47; former church finance managers Serina Wee, 38, and Sharon Tan, 40 - were found guilty in November 2015 of criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts, and sentenced to jail ranging 21 months to eight years.

The prosecution has said the prison terms imposed were “manifestly inadequate, in all the circumstances of the case”. It had earlier called for the six to be jailed for about five to 12 years each to reflect the gravity of their offences.

All six, currently out on bail, have also filed counter-appeals against their conviction and sentences.