The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has seized the passport of a pastor accused of sexually molesting young female members of his church.
The suspect, Pastor Basil Princewill, is the General Overseer of the Mountain Movers Fire Ministries International, Nyanya, a satellite town located between Abuja and Nasarawa State.
The pastor is facing trial for the alleged offence before Shuaibu Usman of the Abuja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Karu.
Hearing in the trial was scheduled to commence on Wednesday, but the prosecution counsel, Sgt. Bulus Samuel, applied for a short adjournment to enable the police amend the charges brought against the pastor.
Samuel informed the court that he was unable to proceed as scheduled because he lost his father shortly after the matter was brought to court.
The defence counsel, Mr. Uchenna Anayo, did not oppose the prosecution’s request for a short adjournment, but moved an oral application for the release of the Pastor’s passport.
He told the court that the police had continued to withhold, despite the fact that it should be released according to the terms of the bail granted the accused person.
“It has come to our attention that the police are still in possession of the first accused person’s passport. We are applying to the court so they can release it,” Anayo said.
The prosecution opposed the application, arguing that the cleric’s passport was seized in line with investigations into the charges against him.
Samuel noted that the said passport would affect the case.
He said, “Section 344 of the constitution gives us the power to seize anything when investigation is going on, if such will affect the case.”
But the court on Wednesday, noted that the prosecution might need the said passport to prove its case. It, therefore, advised the defence counsel to file a written application for the release of the document.
He thereafter adjourned the matter to August 20, 2012, for hearing.
The pastor and his co-accused, Ms Paulyn Ode, were arraigned by the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command on charges of conspiracy, criminal impersonation, criminal intimidation, and criminal force and assault.
Princewill was accused of having carnal knowledge of two 14-year-old female members of the church.
He was also said to have aborted the pregnancy of one the girls, after telling doctors he was her father.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
An accused person is considered innocent until proved guilty by a law court.let the court decide!
ReplyDeleteIf the Pastor is truely guilty, then i guess he only moved the mountain blocking the girls' "wetin-call" to show that the ministry is moving.
ReplyDeleteMany of the so called man of God are just enjoying these sweet sixteen free of charge but the painful aspect is that the parents, relations of the girls and other members of the church will pay their tithe and offering to enable the So called pastors have more energy for action.Devil is a liar.It is so because unlike the mainstream church,nobody can overlook or monitor these self proclaimed men of God.They do what ever they like. These business empires called churches will all crumble one day because God is not an author of confusion and deceit.God is Watching all of us.
ReplyDeleteI think I would be silent over this for now.
ReplyDeleteJudgement according to holy bible will start from the house of God. First to answer case will be the so call men of God.
ReplyDeleteSigns of End-time, these things can't stop until Christs' 2nd coming, poverty or no poverty. You need to shine your EYES and be GUIDED.
ReplyDeleteOBANIJESU
Hmmmmmmm it happened in ma hood know them in person . God help us all to make haven .
ReplyDelete