THE city-state of Singapore likes to think of itself as squeaky clean, so the prosecution of a priest, no less, for corruption has caused a furore. On July 25th Kong Hee, pastor at City Harvest Church (CHC), and five others appeared in court on charges of misusing up to S$50m ($40m) of church money to fund the music career of Mr Kong’s flamboyant wife, Sun Ho. The case has divided Singapore’s fast-growing Christian community, which makes up about a fifth of the 5m population. It also worries those who see corruption as a growing problem.

The CHC is Singapore’s largest mega-church, with more than 30,000 members. Ms Ho helped to found the church and started singing as a way to broaden the church’s appeal: skimpy outfits and provocative gyrations helped. A decade ago she became a full-time pop singer. She has released several albums. Her home is a mansion in Hollywood Hills, California.

Mr Kong’s detractors are smug after years of wailing about the evils and excesses of the new mega-churches which, they claim, put entertainment before spirituality, Mammon before God. Mr Kong often prophesied that donations to the church would cause donors’ personal wealth to swell. Such a “prosperity gospel” exploits the materialist aspirations of young Singaporeans living in a society with more millionaires per head than almost any other.

Church members have closed ranks, claiming that they approve of their leaders’ spending (CHC’s building fund alone raised S$23m last year). They seem to have trusted Mr Kong to spend their money in any way he saw fit. Local activists also acknowledge that the church contributes much to the wider community. Still, the case has revealed a lack of accountability and transparency at religious organisations. Worshippers often place blind faith in their church leaders, showing little interest in where their tithes and donations go.