Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri has accused the South African government of being jealous and xenophobic towards him. The Malawian, who is the leader of Enlightened Christian Gathering Church, and his wife Mary are in court this week for the hearing into their extradition matter.
South Africa is trying to extradite the two back to the country after they fled in November 2020 after they were granted bail.
They are facing charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Sibongile Mnzinyathi, who was sent to Malawi by NPA is currently cross-examined by the Bushiris lawyer Wakona Pita on the evidence she presented to court regarding the couple’s finances.
In an eight-minute clip shared on his social media page after the court proceeding at the Lilongwe Magistrates Court yesterday, Bushiri accused SA government of tempering with documents presented to court by Mnzinyathi yesterday.
“What happened in court yesterday is heartbreaking. The South African witness presented evidence that was tampered with. The document from KPMG showed that there was no money that was sent to mine or my wife’s bank accounts from a company that scammed our church members promising to trade forex for them,” he said.
He also said that he has never taken any money from his church members.
“My wife and I took over $5m dollars which is about R90m and paid our members who had invested in that company and lost their monies. But SA government falsely arrested us even after we opened a criminal case against that company which scammed our congregants,” he said.
Bushiri went on to accuse South Africans of being xenophobic and jealous of him.
“They did all this because I was a foreigner. South Africans are jealous of me because my ministry was growing very big,” he said.
He went on to accuse police officers in the matter of trying to extort money from him. The self-proclaimed prophet claimed that the police demanded R10 million from him or face arrest. ”
I said no to corruption, I stand by my dignity and abide by my values and God is fighting for me, not even lawyers, I just use them as they know how to interpret the law,” he said.
He went further claimed that he received threats from investigating officers in the case and that was the reason he left SA. Bushiri said he forgives South African government for humiliating him but demanded that they also apologise to him, or his message will haunt them forever.
“Did they do this because I am a man of God? But I have forgiven their actions and I hope as humans, they will apologise to me and my wife for such behaviour. This message will haunt SA government forever. They should apologise and clear our names,” he said. The hearing is continuing in court today.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1767946195211567131
Source Hararelive
