A prosperity preacher used religion to fund his wife’s failing attempt at music. According to Reuters, Kong Hee was the co-founder of City Harvest Church in Singapore and served as the senior pastor.
The church is one of the largest religious institutions in the country and serves over 17,000 members. But Pastor Hee led his congregation astray. Instead of using donations gained by the church for good, Hee used the money to fund a disputing music venture.
Pastor Hee’s wife, Ho Yeow Sun, wanted to be Singapore’s Beyoncé, but she apparently didn’t posses enough talent to gain a respectable following. However, Pastor Hee believed in his wife’s abilities so much that he decided to steal from the church to help her as an artist.
Overall, Hee spent $37 million of church donations on his wife’s career. She released several lackluster albums and has a video where she dances seductively with Wyclef Jean. Members of her church community thought the video was too risqué for the first lady of the church.
But beyond Sun’s sexy dancing and awful music, her husband was committing an ultimate sin. After an investigation, it was discovered that Pastor Hee’s lavish lifestyle came by way of criminal activity. The church leader was arrested and charged with criminal breach and falsifying accounts.
It was also discovered that Hee was paying $20K per month for a condo in Los Angeles.
Hee was convicted and faces life in prison.
This sheds light on how some religious leaders continue to abuse their authority.
