Malaysian man charged over Chew Eng Han escape bid
A Malaysian man allegedly collected $8,000 as a deposit to help convicted former City Harvest Church leader Chew Eng Han flee Singapore.
Khoo Kea Leng, 45, who was charged yesterday, is said to have conspired with Chew, 57, on Feb 20 to leave Singapore from an unauthorised point of departure.
Khoo allegedly collected the money from Chew near Block 75, Marine Drive, as part payment for arranging Chew's transport from Singapore to Malaysia.
Chew and boatman Tan Poh Teck, 53, were nabbed on a motorised sampan at sea off Pulau Ubin on Feb 21, a day before he was to start his jail term of three years and four months.
Chew and five others were convicted earlier of misappropriating church funds in the largest fraud involving charity money in Singapore's history.
Both men were charged on Feb 22. They will return to court today after a week-long remand for investigation.
Khoo is being remanded until March 7.
If convicted under the Immigration Act, he faces jail for at least six months and not more than two years, plus a fine of up to $6,000. - ELENA CHONG
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