SINGAPORE, April 12 — The Malaysian man who had tried to help former City Harvest Church (CHC) fund manager Chew Eng Han flee the country was sentenced to six months’ jail today.
Khoo Kea Leng, 46, pleaded guilty to one charge of abetting Chew, by engaging in a conspiracy with the former fund manager on February 20 for him to leave Singapore from Pulau Ubin, which is an unauthorised point of departure.
Chew was unsuccessful and was arrested by the Police Coast Guard (PCG) officers while attempting to leave Singapore illegally in a motorised sampan.
The court heard that Khoo collected S$8,000 (RM23,676) in cash from Chew in the vicinity of Block 75 Marine Drive on Feb 20, as part of payment for conveying Chew from Singapore to Malaysia.
Khoo, who was unemployed, is the first person to be convicted in relation to Chew’s escape bid.
Boatman and fish farm owner Tan Poh Teck, 53, faces three charges of abetting Chew and two other men to illegally leave Singapore. He was offered bail of S$25,000 last week.
Chew’s elder brother, Chew Eng Soon, 61, was also arrested on the same day as his brother, but was later released on bail.
Chew Eng Han, 57, began serving his sentence of three years and four months for criminal breach of trust on March 1. He had earlier been convicted, along with five other former CHC leaders including its founder Kong Hee, for CBT and falsification of accounts involving more than S$50 million of church funds.
He was due to start his jail term on Feb 22, a day before he was arrested for attempting to flee Singapore.
Two weeks ago, on March 29, he was slapped with a fresh charge of attempting to defeat the course of justice. He also faces one charge of attempting to leave Singapore from an unauthorised point of departure without reasonable cause. — TODAY
