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Church fraud case adjourned to August
2005-07-20 09:26:52
By Lydia Shekighenda
The Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court has set the date for ruling whether Blessing Africa Church Archbishop Peter Mutafungwa should face more charges than originally indicated in the first charge sheet by the prosecution.
Senior Resident Magistrate Euphemia Mingi adjourned the case to August 15, when she will make the ruling on whether to admit the new charge sheet or not.
Mutafungwa is charged with forging USD 3,060,000 cheques. According to the charge sheet, the two Bank of America cheques were purportedly issued by the Children Pastors International - USA.
Assistant Inspector of Police Camilius Wambura told the magistrate after thorough investigations, the police realised the accused had committed more crimes than they had originally thought.
Initially, he was charged with five counts but the police wanted 25 more charges to be added in the charge sheet.
The police have made amendment of the charge sheet making the count of accusations 30.
The accused’s lawyer, Barnabas Rugua, vehemently rejected the amendment.
’The prosecution wants to delay the case as much as possible, he lamented.
In previous occasion, the court had ordered for the hearing to start yesterday only for the prosecution to add more charges and request for time to finalise investigations.
Rugua said it was wrong for the prosecution to change charges without informing the court beforehand.
The advocate said the case was filed last October before Resident Magistrate Salome Mwandu. The prosecution failed to produce witnesses and the case was dismissed, he said.
’’It is under such circumstances the prosecution filed the case for the second time,’’ he said.
Rugua sought the court to deny the prosecution’s request to substitute the charge sheet.
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