The Star Online: Metro: South & East

Suu Kyi arrives for four-day visit
Teen serviced 100 clients, court told
Defence lawyers: Not all church projects are for profit

Suu Kyi arrives for four-day visit

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MYANMAR opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Singapore to begin what will be a four-day visit to the Republic.

This is the first time the Nobel peace laureate has visited Singapore.

She later met Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Grace Fu at the MFA building.

Suu Kyi also received briefings from several government agencies.

Her weekend schedule includes two speaking engagements and a meeting with some 5,000 Myanmar citizens based in Singapore.

On Monday, Suu Kyi has lined up back-to-back bilateral meetings. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Teen serviced 100 clients, court told

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A CHINA girl who was forced into prostitution by her pimp had serviced about 100 clients on about 150 occasions here, a Community Court heard.

The 17-year-old Chinese national would receive about S$60 (RM152) each time for her sexual services and her pimp would collect all her prostitution earnings.

Between May 18 and June 1 – the day of her arrest – Tang Huisheng, 37, collected a total of about S$9,000 (RM22,811) from the minor.

He used the money to pay for rental and other expenses, as well as for gambling.

Tang, who is not represented, pleaded guilty to four charges – bringing the minor here for prostitution, living on her earnings, harbouring her, and aiding Nordin Mohammed Noor to have paid sex with the minor for S$100 (RM253).

Two other charges will be considered when he is sentenced.

The court heard that Tang and the minor flew here on May 16. She began working as a prostitute in Geylang two days later.

While the minor was soliciting for customers, Tang would be standing near her to render assistance.

He also acted as a look-out and helped her to look for customers.

After Tang saw the minor being arrested, he made his way to Marina Bay Sands casino where he lost S$18,300 (RM46,382) within four days.

He also brought forward his return flight to Guangzhou, China, from June 10 to 5 but was arrested on June 5.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Stella Tan Wei Ling and Elizabeth Chua will give their submission on sentencing on Oct 2.

Tang is in custody as he could not raise the S$15,000 (RM38,018) bail offered. His bail was doubled yesterday after his conviction.

A total of 24 men have been charged with commercial sex with the minor, 13 of whom have each been sentenced to between 11 and 12 weeks.

Two had their sentencing postponed after pleading guilty. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Defence lawyers: Not all church projects are for profit

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NOT every investment made by charities such as churches need to yield profit. Sometimes these investments may be to further social objectives.

Defence lawyers for the six accused City Harvest leaders said this in court during an on-going trial.

City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee and five of his deputies are accused of criminal breach of trust.

They are alleged to have funnelled S$24mil (RM60.8mil) meant for the church's new building into sham bond investments in church-linked firms Firna and Xtron Productions.

Prosecutors said City Harvest accounts were then falsified to the tune of S$26.6mil (RM67.4mil) so the bonds appeared to have been "redeemed".

Defence lawyers said that in the same way the National Kidney Foundation, for example, invests in dialysis machines even though these depreciate in value, City Harvest invested in its Crossover Project to convert people to Christianity.

The Crossover Project Crossover Project started in 2001 with the aim of using co-founder Ho Yeow Sun's secular music to evangelise.

In fact, auditor Foong Daw Ching had no objections to the use of City Harvest funds to finance Ho's music albums as this furthered the church's evangelism mission, claimed Michael Khoo, lawyer for former church investment manager Chew Eng Han.

This approval supposedly came in a meeting in 2003 between Foong and church leaders, shortly after a special audit was done following allegations that church funds were improperly used to finance Ho's career.

Foong, however, said he could not recall this meeting. — The Straits Times/ Asia News network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Sabtu, 21 September 2013