When Tan Ye Peng Got Free: The Tale of a Church Misuse Gone Wild
In a twist that would make a soap opera writer blush, Tan Ye Peng, the former deputy senior pastor of City Harvest Church (CHC), walked out of prison on June 1 after a reign of red‑hot scandal. He’s 46, the very same age as many of us now, and the guy who cut his prison sentence in half with a good‑behaviour discount—think of it as a “behave‑ish‑you‑will‑lose‑some‑time” scheme.
“One‑Third Off” – The Fairness Rule of the Jails
Singapore’s Prison Service, in a friendly nod, told The Straits Times on Saturday that Mr Tan’s three‑year, two‑month jail stint originally began on April 21, 2017, was trimmed by roughly a third. That’s the typical payoff for doing nothing but standing in line and reading the prison handbook.
Other Ex‑Pastors Who Made It Out
- Sharon Tan – 7 months (now off)
- John Lam – 18 months (released)
- Serina Wee – 2½ years (already out)
- Chew Eng Han – still behind bars (plus the catch‑up on a foreign‑escape case)
- Kong Hee – the “longest‑sentence” mastermind, set to be out around August if the good‑behaviour rule applies
The Money Trail: 50 Million Dollars, 10 Hours of Credit Risk, and a Pop Star
In 2015, six CHC leaders were handed prison terms that ranged from 21 months to a staggering eight years. Fast forward to 2017, a High Court squad of three judges altogether decided these folks were guilty of a “lighter” version of criminal breach of trust, chopping the sentences down to 7 months to 3½ years.
Picture this: the church’s $24 million building fund was sham‑shamarily funneled into fake bond investments to bankroll Kong Hee’s wife, Ms. Ho Yeow Sun’s pop career. Then, to keep auditors guessing, the crew spun a series of “round‑tripping” moves that siphoned an extra $26 million. Verdict: a total of $50 million stolen, and some of that money was actually going to tickets at the pop concert.
Chew’s “Sea‑Escape” Saga
Chew Eng Han, instead of sitting in for his term, got swept away on a boat in February last year—just one day before he should have started his 3‑year, 4‑month sentence. Now he faces an extra 13 months for trying to flee Singapore illegally and messing with the judiciary. After finishing his first stint, Chew will serve the second one, like a double‑dose of justice.
What’s In The Headlines?
- Chief takeaway: Tan’s release shows how Singapore’s remission policy works for “good behaviour.” It’s a kind of jail‑side round‑up.
- The criminal names involved: Tan, Kong, Schor, Lam, Serina, and the adventurous Chew.
- Financial mishandling: 50 million dollars directed into a pop‑star’s life, and misfiled accounting hoops to throw off the auditors.
- Possible next release window: Kong around August if we accept the remission “favourable formula.”
Before we go, let’s tip our hats to everyone who had a hand in rigging the accounts—two conferences, one redemption, and nine bad decisions, all rolled into a city‑wide scandal that’s been turned out to be as dramatic as any period drama.
