Shepherd Bushiri of the Enlightened Christian Gathering is fighting very hard to get his
luxury jet back.
The aircraft was preserved earlier this year as prosecuting authorities claimed it was
bought with the proceeds of crime.
The office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions Authority of South Africa, are
doing their best to ensure, that Bushiri forfeits the luxury jet, however Bushiri is not prepared
to see that happened.
In a lengthy affidavit presented before the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Bushiri explained
in detail, that the jet was ultimately bought with legitimate proceeds.
He is blaming a conspiracy and vendetta by some people against him due to his popularity.
He said this was one of the reasons why charges of fraud and money laundering had been brought
against him and his wife, Mary Bushiri.
The prosecution authority claimed that the aircraft was “the proceeds of unlawful activities”,
and was instrumental in the alleged crimes allegedly committed by the Bushiris.
The Bushiris were arrested by the Hawks for fraud, money laundering and other related
charges, and their trial is still to get under way in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court
in Pretoria.
A few days after their release on bail in February, his company, Shepherd Bushiri Investments,
was served with the preservation order for the jet.
Shepherd Bushiri is the founder of the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church, which has several
branches across the world.
While the National Prosecuting Authority claimed that the Bushiris flouted exchange control
regulations relating to some R16 million worth of foreign currency when he bought the jet,
the Bushiris denied this.
Shepherd Bushiri said there was nothing illegal in his purchase of the 1984 Gulfstream, which
was hangared at Lanseria International Airport.
According to him, he once mentioned that he was tired of all the travelling between his
congregations here and outside the country’s borders.
He explained that his church had more than 300 branches in over 19 countries, and 90
branches in South Africa.
He presented several sermons a week, attended by thousands of people, who made financial
contributions to the church.
He further explained that they received a lot of donations from outside parties, and
that several people also insisted on giving him gifts for his services.
He said he was having a conversation with one of his pastors in 2016 on his travels,
and that it would be easier if he had an aircraft.
They found one, which was going for $1,250,000, equivalent to about R17 million.
Bushiri said the jet was bought, and the amount involved was paid in three instalments with
legitimate funds.
In blaming his problems on a conspiracy theory against him, the he said he became so popular
in 2015 that, it created animosity among certain local pastors.
Furthermore, he explained that there were several attempts on his life and that of his
family, adding that his car once exploded after he got out of it in the Sheraton Hotel’s
parking.
These are the words of Shepherd Bushiri.
“They conspired against me in an endeavour to ruin my reputation.
Certain members of the church were used to plot against me, and provide false information”.
Bushiri said he was even asked to pay a R10 million bribe by a certain police captain,
in order “to avoid facing problems from the authorities”.
He said he refused to pay the bribe, and that was the genesis of his persecution by the
authorities.
Meanwhile, the prosecuting authority has indicated that it had enough evidence to believe that
the aircraft was the proceeds of unlawful activities, or the instrument of an offence.
In spite of all these, it has been revealed, that the application for the forfeiture of
the luxury jet was not ready to go ahead at this stage, and was removed from the roll.
Please check in the description box below, for the links to the sources of this report.
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