Tayspiderx 3rd Gear March 4, 2013 Share March 4, 2013 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1257822/1/.html SINGAPORE: One of the City Harvest Church members embroiled in the multi-million dollar criminal breach of trust trial wants a Queen's Counsel -- Caplan Jonathan Michael, who has experience in serious fraud cases and cases involving Criminal Breach of Trust -- to defend him, and a court hearing into that application began on Monday. The church's investment manager Chew Eng Han said there is a lack of available local senior counsel with the appropriate expertise to represent him. Lawyer P.E. Ashokan argued that Chew had taken reasonable steps to secure a local senior counsel to fight his case. He had engaged two senior counsel in the early stages of the criminal proceedings, but due to issues of conflict, they were unable to act for him. Mr Ashokan noted that efforts to engage other local senior counsel had come to naught. "Therefore it is clear that Mr Chew is unable to engage a local senior counsel to defend him in the criminal proceedings through no fault of his, and due to very exceptional circumstances where most of the senior counsel in Singapore are unable to act for him," he added. His case is also unique in that he faces the possibility of unequal representation as all but one of the other five co-accused have hired senior counsel to defend them. Chew is among six church leaders accused of conspiring to cheat the church of millions of dollars. They are alleged to have funnelled S$24 million into sham bond investments to further the career of senior pastor Kong Hee's pop singer wife, Sun Ho. The six are also said to have misappropriated another S$26.6 million to cover up the first sum. The Attorney-General's Chambers, the Public Prosecutor and the Law Society have all raised objections to the application, saying that the legal and factual issues of the case are not complex enough to require specialist foreign senior counsel. The Law Society said that there are lawyers in Singapore, who may not necessarily be senior counsel, with the relevant expertise who can run Chew's defence but have not been approached. Ms Aurill Kam, who represented the AGC, described Mr Ashokan's point of the case being complex as an "exaggerated claim". Mr Ashokan had pointed out that the documents relating to the transactions are voluminous, with statements from the accused persons alone numbering about 8,000 pages. Ms Kam rebuked this, saying Mr Ashokan's claim conflates volume with complexity. Mr Christopher Daniel, who represented the Law Society threw up some names and said that there was no explanation as to why these lawyers were not approached. "One can make the point that he (Chew) wanted a senior counsel, and not to find a lawyer with the expertise who can run his defence," he noted. This prompted Justice V.K Rajah to point out that most senior counsels specialise in commercial matters, and that the best criminal lawyers are not senior counsels. Justice V.K. Rajah will deliver his verdict on Tuesday. Epic.... QC in da house!! long time never hear anyone hiring one. ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donut Supercharged March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 My question is how does a church worker afford a QC? Money from where? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckduck Turbocharged March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 My question is how does a church worker afford a QC? Money from where? Ayah his flock of sheeps more than willing to give him lah. All blind Liao Wat to do Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weichien Clutched March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Church worker no money meh? Many r highly educated and from top schools. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weichien Clutched March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Investment manager should have some standard lah Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinOrLim Clutched March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Wah...so much money to engage QC, if I have that sort of money, I would put them in corporate bonds to earn interest and retire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HP_Lee 5th Gear March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Investment manager should have some standard lah Looks like he got no standard leh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjkbeluga 5th Gear March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Investment manager should have some standard lah You think he need to spend a dime meh.... All Ah Kong's (pun intended) kong see chut eh.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadX Moderator March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 My question is how does a church worker afford a QC? Money from where? pope benedict now free mah [laugh] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wt_know Supersonic March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 (edited) $26M can engage how many queen's counsel? great ... let's bring out the big gun ... more like canon Edited March 5, 2013 by Wt_know Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damienic 5th Gear March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 His application likely to be rejected unless the courts are applying a different set of standards. CSJ had in the past, at least twice got his application for a QC to represent him in court turned down by the judge. No reason for the outcome to be different this time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman888 Moderator March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 all siam !! [laugh] "Therefore it is clear that Mr Chew is unable to engage a local senior counsel to defend him in the criminal proceedings through no fault of his, and due to very exceptional circumstances where most of the senior counsel in Singapore are unable to act for him," he added. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpySpeedFiend 2nd Gear March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 His application likely to be rejected unless the courts are applying a different set of standards. CSJ had in the past, at least twice got his application for a QC to represent him in court turned down by the judge. No reason for the outcome to be different this time. Agree. There is really no need for a QC for such case. If a SC is good enough for NBG's case, he will be good enough for this case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpySpeedFiend 2nd Gear March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 all siam !! [laugh] "Therefore it is clear that Mr Chew is unable to engage a local senior counsel to defend him in the criminal proceedings through no fault of his, and due to very exceptional circumstances where most of the senior counsel in Singapore are unable to act for him," he added. Cannot be. TCM should be free. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsl Clutched March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 i was shock recently when i found my company saleswoman switched job from saleswoman to financial advisor recently chance meeting found she earn close to $750K in bonus last year we are all in the wrong line (PS: Qualifier - to be a good financial advisor, you have to be handsome or pretty, speaks well (with Ang moh accent), dress well (not necessary show alot of cleavage) - that is what i learnt from this saleswoman) most of us cannot past the first criteria - handsome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyfitms Twincharged March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 no wonder my financial adviser is a As for CHC, if they are really innocent, can't a regular SC defend them? ANyway, good for AGC... need to have some challenge against a QC once in a while. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donut Supercharged March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Agree. There is really no need for a QC for such case. If a SC is good enough for NBG's case, he will be good enough for this case. He "KIASI" mah.............. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubbishman 1st Gear March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Agree. There is really no need for a QC for such case. If a SC is good enough for NBG's case, he will be good enough for this case. Should put it this way. If he has not done anything wrong and nothing to fear, any lawyer would be more than good enough. ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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