Bishop under probe (Daily Express)

Bishop under probe  (Daily Express 17^th July, 2012 page 2)

Kota Kinabalu:

A Bishop in Sabah is being investigated by a three-member Advisory Committee for alleged abuse of power and mismanagement of the Diocesan Mission Fund.

The trio visited Sabah on July 3 and 4 but did not to meet the Bishop when they approached his office as he was away, church sources told the Daily Express.

The setting up of the committee comprising an assistant bishop, the accountant and a lawyer was endorsed by the House of Bishops in the Province of the church in Southeast Asia (consisting of the Diocese of Kuala Lumpur, Diocese of Singapore, Diocese of Sarawak and Diocese of Sabah).

One contentious issue raised is that he spent money without prior approval of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Sabah.  The Cathedral concerned allegedly ran into a deficit of almost RM1.2million between 2010 and 2011.

“The Bishop renovated the Bishop’s lodge six years ago.  How much did the exercise cost?  No account was presented.  When the Diocese bought a property in Thailand for its mission work there, it was purchased under the Bishop’s name, instead of the registered with the office if the Bishop of Sabah.

“And it is true that the Bishop sold a piece of land (belonging to the Cathedral) to finance the construction of a church complex in Menggatal?  There is absolutely no transparency, no accountability, no open tender in administrating public funds,”lamented a parishioner who on condition of anonymity.

The task of the committee, which is commissioned to investigate malpractice (if any) ws ti interview the complainants and other individuals, pertaining to issues of the Bishop’s personal conduct, the exercise of Episcopal authority and certain transactions entered into be either the Diocese of Sabah and/or the Cathedral here.

In a letter dated May 15, 2012, and addressed to the Bishop, the standing committee of the Diocese of Sabah and the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of the Cathedral in Sabah, the Archbishop of the Province of the Church in South East Asia, who resides in Kuching, said he (Archbishop) has received a written complaint dated March 2, 2012 and signed by five individuals against the Diocesan Bishop of Sabah.

According to him, the House of Bishops (excluding the Bishop of Sabah) had deliberated on the manner and decided not to dismiss the complaint but to take investigative action.

“As the matters involve the management of the affairs of the Diocese of Sabah, and also because the matters that have brought to our attention have the potential to affect the integrity and reputation of the life and witness of the Province of the Church in Southeast Asia as a whole, action by the House of Bishops is warranted,” the Archbishop wrote.

The House of Bishops also ordered an audit or, where necessary, a re-audit, by an independent firm of auditors , of the financial statements and accounts of the Diocese of Sabah and the Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu “to ensure that all expenditure  in relation to the several matters raised in the complaint, some going back to 2006, have been properly authorized and accurately reflected, and to express a professional opinion as to whether a proper system of accountability and internal controls exists to approve expenditure and maintain the separation of expenses of the Diocese of Sabah from that of the Cathedral concerned.”

Based on the Archbishop’s letter, the Advisory Committee is expected to report their findings to the House of Bishops on or before August 31.  He hoped to see a lasting solution to the crisis that has affected the Diocese of Sabah and its Cathedral.

As it is, he has also been acting as Dean of the Cathedral for the past six years since his ordination as Bishops, instead of appointing another person to the position.

Angry Christians also questioned the Bishop’s declaration that anyone who had not attended the church for the last six months would not be buried in the church-allocated cemeteries.  This threat forced those who joined a breakaway church to return to the fold.

There had also been talk that the Bishop was being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for embezzlement of the Diocese Mission Fund.  However, this could not be confirmed.

(retyped by Joshua Y. C. Kong for the purpose of wider circulation as no apology came from Daily Express as demanded by the Diocese of Sabah)   28.12.12