These are really tough times for Pentecostal Churches. Few days after the Camerounian President Paul Biya ordered the closure of all Pentecostal churches in the country, United Kingdom authorities yesterday opened a case against Bishop David Oyedepo’s Winners' Chapel London over issues concerning “misapplication and diversion of charity funds”.
According to UK officials, they are concerned about the nature of the transfers involving Winners Chapel London with registration number 1134421 and it’s World Mission Agency. The case which is being handled by UK Charity Regulatory Commission is seen by authorities as an abuse of the law governing religious activities in the country.
In a statement, the commission stated that it has a regulatory case with the World Mission Agency (1085902) / Winners Chapel London (1134421), and has considered documents and information shared by the trustees “and our case is continuing.”
The commission further explained: “The concerns that we are looking at are issues of conflict of interest, an allegation that charitable funds have been misapplied and concerns about the reputational management of the charity. We cannot share further information while our case is underway and cannot put a timescale on our case at this stage.”
When THISDAY contacted the organisation for further clarification, a press officer in the commission, Tallulah Perez-Sphar said the commission became alarmed when it discovered that there were instances where money transfers involving the church appear shady.
She observed that by the virtue of the commission’s powers to keep an eye on all charitable ventures, it had to open a case against the church “after several complain and allegations trailing its activities.”
Perez-Sphar told THISDAY that the case relates to the management of money and funds raised in UK churches. “The case relates very much to how those charities are being managed and it involves transfer of funds,” she added.
It is believed that Oyedepo’s Winners Chapel in UK raised about £16 million between 2008 and 2012. Part of the money was said to have been transferred to the Nigerian church’s headquarters where Oyedepo is permanently based.
Investigation into the church financial activities shows that the World Mission Agency has approximately £8.6 million in assets and capital. Most of the funds from the UK church have been channeled to Nigeria under the supervision of the Bishop, insider sources revealed.
It was also established that between 2009 and 2012, a large chunk of the funds were transferred in questionable circumstances to the Nigerian church authorities.
A run through the transfer deals shows that in 2011, about £663,532 meant “for onward transmission to the world headquarters in Nigeria" was carried out. The sum of £324,683 and £149,000 were transferred between 2010 and 2009, while another £192,000 was also traced to the Nigeria headquarters within the same period.
The said sums were said to have been transferred under the cover “for charitable activities in Africa, welfare assistance for undisclosed purpose, including some payment made as special privileges to certain members of the church.”
The case opened a new vista of investigation targeted at rich Nigerian pastors operating in the UK. Oyedepo who is estimated by Forbes Magazine to be worth £90 million, about $140 million owns one of the biggest churches in Africa, located in the outskirts of Lagos.
He is reputed to own chains of properties including two universities, housing estates, shopping malls, and private jets. This is not the first time Oyedepo’s church will face scrutiny. There have been several complaints against the church in the UK. The case also adds to the numerous cases involving Nigerian pastors, some of whom have all but left the UK over claims of amassing wealth largely from church members.
culled from This Day
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