Singapore: The former Maris Stella High School principal, accused of embezzling school funds, took the witness stand on Tuesday for the first time.

Anthony Tan, 65, who allegedly used funds from the school chapel building fund to pay for a private home, was quizzed by judge Soh Tze Bian on why he did not declare all the accounts.

The court heard that he declared the accounts in 2009, but not when the Board of Management asked him to do so in 2003.

Tan said that it did not dawn on him that he had to provide details of all the accounts. At one board meeting, he had provided details of three accounts, but not the rest.