Ukraine-based Nigerian pastor in fraud charges

EZRA IJIOMA

Pastor Sunday Adelaja, left, prays with parishioners before delivering his sermon at a service in Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007.
Flambouyant Nigerian pastor and apparently Ukraine’s most prominent Pentecostal leader, Sunday Adelaja, has been indicted on fraud charges. Pastor Adelaja is the senior pastor of the largest church in the Ukraine, "The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, Kiev."



The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has accused him of defrauding citizens of money, the ministry’s Department for Media Liaison and International Activity said. Sunday Champion gathered that the amount is over $100m.

"The investigator has brought charges against Nigerian citizen Sunday Adelaja, who permanently resides in Ukraine and is a senior pastor at the Embassy of God church. The charges were brought under Part 4, Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (the embezzlement of funds in very large amounts via fraud)," the ministry said.

Last month, several church members went to authorities saying they were unable to recover the money they invested, which left many of them bankrupt. Police later arrested one of King’s Capital leaders, Aleksandr Bandurchenko, on suspicion of fraud.

Speculation about Adelaja’s involvement with King’s Capital grew after reports surfaced that he was part of a bank in Nigeria known as GS Microfinance Bank Limited. Some speculated that Adelaja, a native of Nigeria, invested funds from King’s Capital in the African bank and planned to leave the country.

Adelaja, however, said those accusations are unfounded. He said he has never been involved with King’s Capital but denied that it is a Ponzi scheme, which uses later investments to pay dividends to earlier investors.

He said King’s Capital was a legitimate business that failed under the pressure of the global financial crisis. He said because the company poured most of the investment capital into real estate, which decreased in value, it has been unable to pay investors.

"When the economic crisis came, all the real estate is no more selling. The land is enough to pay back the money owed. ,  The problem is ,  everything is stopped in the country--nothing is selling now in Ukraine,’’ he said.

Adelaja said Interior Affairs Minister Yurii Lutsenko accused the church of involvement because he wants to undermine the evangelical movement in Ukraine. With several thousand members across the nation, God’s Embassy is one of the most influential congregations in Ukraine.

"(Lutsenko) is in a very bad situation," Adelaja said. "He’s got to prove now that (King’s Capital) is a pyramid scheme, but he cannot."

Adelaja said he never encouraged his church members to invest in the company and cautioned them to invest in businesses that offer insurance. "Of course ,  if you invest with insurance you get less percentage," he said. "What happened was many people said they didn’t need insurance because the (King’s Capital leaders) were Christians."

He acknowledged being affiliated with GS Microfinance, but said he invested his name and influence in the bank, not millions of dollars. He said GS Microfinance was formed to give small loans to poor Nigerians as a way of lifting them out of poverty. "It’s not about what you can get, but the vision of the program is to elevate and get as many people out of poverty as possible," Adelaja said. "That is one of my lifetime passions ,  because I grew up in poverty."

Although Adelaja has repeatedly denied any involvement in King’s Capital, which has not officially been deemed a fraudulent business, Pentecostal and charismatic leaders across Ukraine are calling on him to repent, saying they heard him encourage church members to invest in the company on several occasions.

"He was not a president of this company, but he was the No. 1 spiritual leader, and he told them what they have to do," said Bishop M. S.Panochko, leader of the All-Ukrainian Union of Pentecostal Churches of Evangelical Faith, which is comprised of 1,500 churches across the nation. "He can do everything to tell them that he is not involved, but all the leaders have a lot of facts, and we have a lot of video of when he was pushing people, and he encouraged people to invest in this business."

Panochko was one of 10 leaders who met with Adelaja last Tuesday to confront him about his alleged support of King’s Capital and the negative impact some of his actions have had on the evangelical church in Ukraine.

The Pentecostal bishops, who together represent more than 2,500 congregations, listed seven items of concern and said Adelaja has a pattern of making exaggerated statements. They pointed particularly to his alleged claim that he led the 2004 Orange Revolution--when Ukrainian voters protested a presidential election many considered fraudulent--and his reports that God’s Embassy has 100,000 members across the nation. The bishops say those and other statements are untrue.

After the meeting, Adelaja issued a statement saying he did not organize the Orange Revolution, though his congregation participated in the demonstrations. He also asked forgiveness for the negative impact the King’s Capital scandal has had on Ukrainian churches, but he added that he did not personally have any involvement in the company.

Despite the statement, Panochko said the bishops would continue waiting for Adelaja to apologize for allegedly endorsing King’s Capital. If he does not repent, Panochko said the bishops would issue a statement to Christians in Ukraine and abroad, and to the Ukrainian government, denouncing Adelaja and claiming no affiliation with him.

Moscow-based pastor Rick Renner, founder of the Good News Association of Churches and Ministries for Russia, Latvia and Ukraine, said Adelaja’s claims are hurting Christians in the former Soviet Union.

If convicted, Adelaja may spend up to 12 years in imprisonment, according to Part 4, Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/mar/21/806.html

I will be most disappointed if this is a surprise to anyone! Large Christian ministries and financial/sexual scam go together like hand and glove.

You'd rather be disappointed because he was just accused and assumed innocent until proven guilty.

huxley:

I will be most disappointed if this is a surprise to anyone! Large Christian ministries and financial/sexual scam go together like hand and glove.

Dont mess with east europeans.You can trust they will call a spade by no other name when it comes to things like this.

Our brother had better flee Ukraine fast if he hasnt done that already rather than trying to pull wool over their eyes. Ukrainian prison isnt the best place to be for a black man.

It's such a shame, another Nierian man of God in the mud.

VERY IMPORTANT

This is a story about an ATM fraudster

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-246784.0.html

rockhaven:

this is what usually happened when GOD called a man to preach and he decides to be a banker in addition to gospel preaching.we pray that GOD will intervene and save this man from the hands of his enemies.

When god called him to preach, did god not realise that he was going to go into banking and financial scamming. What sort of god is that if he did not know these things?

Moderators and their ever itchy fingers to place any alleged Christian crime on the front page.
and consciously keeping the Muslim ones buried in the background.
There was a Muslim man that beheaded his wife in a TV station New york,where is it?
The 75 year old grandma that was lashed with Koboko by Sharia in Saudi,where is it?
how about the Muslim cleric sucking his almajiris in the middle of the night and using their sperm for juju

I guess the fear of the "great religion" is the beginning of "wisdom"
allahu arched bar!

iReport:

Ukraine-based Nigerian pastor in fraud charges

EZRA IJIOMA

Pastor Sunday Adelaja, left, prays with parishioners before delivering his sermon at a service in Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007.
Flambouyant Nigerian pastor and apparently Ukraine’s most prominent Pentecostal leader, Sunday Adelaja, has been indicted on fraud charges. Pastor Adelaja is the senior pastor of the largest church in the Ukraine, "The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, Kiev."



The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has accused him of defrauding citizens of money, the ministry’s Department for Media Liaison and International Activity said. Sunday Champion gathered that the amount is over $100m.

"The investigator has brought charges against Nigerian citizen Sunday Adelaja, who permanently resides in Ukraine and is a senior pastor at the Embassy of God church. The charges were brought under Part 4, Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (the embezzlement of funds in very large amounts via fraud)," the ministry said.

Last month, several church members went to authorities saying they were unable to recover the money they invested, which left many of them bankrupt. Police later arrested one of King’s Capital leaders, Aleksandr Bandurchenko, on suspicion of fraud.

Speculation about Adelaja’s involvement with King’s Capital grew after reports surfaced that he was part of a bank in Nigeria known as GS Microfinance Bank Limited. Some speculated that Adelaja, a native of Nigeria, invested funds from King’s Capital in the African bank and planned to leave the country.

Adelaja, however, said those accusations are unfounded. He said he has never been involved with King’s Capital but denied that it is a Ponzi scheme, which uses later investments to pay dividends to earlier investors.

He said King’s Capital was a legitimate business that failed under the pressure of the global financial crisis. He said because the company poured most of the investment capital into real estate, which decreased in value, it has been unable to pay investors.

"When the economic crisis came, all the real estate is no more selling. The land is enough to pay back the money owed. , The problem is , everything is stopped in the country--nothing is selling now in Ukraine,’’ he said.

Adelaja said Interior Affairs Minister Yurii Lutsenko accused the church of involvement because he wants to undermine the evangelical movement in Ukraine. With several thousand members across the nation, God’s Embassy is one of the most influential congregations in Ukraine.

"(Lutsenko) is in a very bad situation," Adelaja said. "He’s got to prove now that (King’s Capital) is a pyramid scheme, but he cannot."

Adelaja said he never encouraged his church members to invest in the company and cautioned them to invest in businesses that offer insurance. "Of course , if you invest with insurance you get less percentage," he said. "What happened was many people said they didn’t need insurance because the (King’s Capital leaders) were Christians."

He acknowledged being affiliated with GS Microfinance, but said he invested his name and influence in the bank, not millions of dollars. He said GS Microfinance was formed to give small loans to poor Nigerians as a way of lifting them out of poverty. "It’s not about what you can get, but the vision of the program is to elevate and get as many people out of poverty as possible," Adelaja said. "That is one of my lifetime passions , because I grew up in poverty."

Although Adelaja has repeatedly denied any involvement in King’s Capital, which has not officially been deemed a fraudulent business, Pentecostal and charismatic leaders across Ukraine are calling on him to repent, saying they heard him encourage church members to invest in the company on several occasions.

"He was not a president of this company, but he was the No. 1 spiritual leader, and he told them what they have to do," said Bishop M. S.Panochko, leader of the All-Ukrainian Union of Pentecostal Churches of Evangelical Faith, which is comprised of 1,500 churches across the nation. "He can do everything to tell them that he is not involved, but all the leaders have a lot of facts, and we have a lot of video of when he was pushing people, and he encouraged people to invest in this business."

Panochko was one of 10 leaders who met with Adelaja last Tuesday to confront him about his alleged support of King’s Capital and the negative impact some of his actions have had on the evangelical church in Ukraine.

The Pentecostal bishops, who together represent more than 2,500 congregations, listed seven items of concern and said Adelaja has a pattern of making exaggerated statements. They pointed particularly to his alleged claim that he led the 2004 Orange Revolution--when Ukrainian voters protested a presidential election many considered fraudulent--and his reports that God’s Embassy has 100,000 members across the nation. The bishops say those and other statements are untrue.

After the meeting, Adelaja issued a statement saying he did not organize the Orange Revolution, though his congregation participated in the demonstrations. He also asked forgiveness for the negative impact the King’s Capital scandal has had on Ukrainian churches, but he added that he did not personally have any involvement in the company.

Despite the statement, Panochko said the bishops would continue waiting for Adelaja to apologize for allegedly endorsing King’s Capital. If he does not repent, Panochko said the bishops would issue a statement to Christians in Ukraine and abroad, and to the Ukrainian government, denouncing Adelaja and claiming no affiliation with him.

Moscow-based pastor Rick Renner, founder of the Good News Association of Churches and Ministries for Russia, Latvia and Ukraine, said Adelaja’s claims are hurting Christians in the former Soviet Union.

If convicted, Adelaja may spend up to 12 years in imprisonment, according to Part 4, Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/mar/21/806.html

They are just looking for a scape goat.
who in the stock market hasn't lost money with the economic situation?
Let me sue Fidelity and Charles Schwabb abi?
Nonsense!

Believe it or not. . . . 95% of the Pastors out there are fraudulent and roguish. . . . . . . ^{God dey patient sha}

There is no proof that this was a scheme. He sad it was legitimate and it went bust due to the financial crises. Being a nigerian definitely will not help his case.

Believe it or not. . . . 95% of the Pastors out there are fraudulent and roguish. . . . . . . God dey patient sha

in nigeria its 100 percent roguish

There is no proof that this was a scheme. He sad it was legitimate and it went bust due to the financial crises. Being a nigerian definitely will not help his case.

waht business does a pastor have setting up investment funds or a hedge, that shows he is a crook

As someone who is skeptical of pastors, I have to say it is very unlikely that Adelaja had any hand in fraud. If this guy isnt genuine, no one is. It takes almost super human fortitude for a black man to have the profile he has in Ukraine. Obviously, his one big mistake was to get the church involved with business. No matter how well meaning, when things go bust (and they willl in any business), it gets really ugly. WOW. I hope the adeboyes and oyedepos are watching.

If you call this man Fraud, What about the likes of Adegboye and Oyedepo.They have other incestment too as a pastor.You people should stop this judging.I have never seen a muslim story here.Please let me know why.
We only see christian, yet we have lots of people from the north on Nairaland.
Is it that northing happen there, or don't their imam engage in evil practice?

I believe this is just an accusation and until he is proven guilty we cannot say he is guilty. Yes there may be pastors that are not living right also remember that God will always have a remnant and He alone knows, let us not be quick to judge him and even if he is proven guilty, I have discovered that it is only in Christianity that we attack our wounded soldiers, what are we to do in this case - as a believer I feel we should pray for him and stand by him and trust God that all things will work together for good, at least I've known this pastor for a while and he has been a blessing to many, let us not forget that we have an enemy that is seeking whom to devour and we are not completely immune to his devices whether as a pastor or laity. Let us trust God for Pastor Adelaja that mercy and truth will surely prevail. Everyone has been affected by the meltdown, here in Nigeria, so many of us have lost money in the stock market crises. I believe if the investment scheme was doing well, no one would have raised an alarm. Moreover from the story, Pastor Adelaja did not hold any position in the company. Let's be wise and not be quick to judge.
@huxley - Be not quick to judge, I believe as humans, you and I are not perfect either, how would expect to be treated when you're faced with trials. Do unto others as you expect them to do to you. ( No offence intended). Peace!

http://www.godembassy.org/en/news/news_publ.php?showdetail=3738

"Another pastor involved in a scam"    and so fuckin wat ? 
It is amazing that some foolish christians enjoy topics that call their faith a bluff, ignoring the fact that a topic like this is just a cheap way of increasing traffic on nairaland to increase ads revenue from google. 

This is not suprising to me

rubbish.

Please Kindly spare us all,  How many of you who lost money in the stock market have sued your stock brokers and the pretty lady marketters who cajoled you into buying stocks that were dropping like stone in water[/color][color=#990000][/color][color=#990000][/color][color=#990000].

Lets be reasonable, this has nothing to do with the church or the man of God. I can ask you to do anything but don't you think that its your own lack of insight that pulls you to make decisions without based on another man's words.

**osisi:

Moderators and their ever itchy fingers to place any alleged Christian crime on the front page.
and consciously keeping the Muslim ones buried in the background.
There was a Muslim man that beheaded his wife in a TV station New york,where is it?
The 75 year old grandma that was lashed with Koboko by Sharia in Saudi,where is it?
how about the Muslim cleric sucking his almajiris in the middle of the night and using their sperm for juju

I guess the fear of the "great religion" is the beginning of "wisdom"
allahu arched bar!

the more i know you, the more i love you.  i am proud to call you a sister God bless you and increase you.

i remember posting hamzahs daughter having a boob job gave me a ban.  the church of God is an unstoppable church. it is a global force for good. like every large family we have members we wish never come to dinning table but God's name be praised He has not finished with them yet.

there is a book of Christ's life being written as we speak  many of you can still add your name. it is open for you. beleive in Jesus and your name goes in. that simple. no religion but a relationship.

moi2:

I believe this is just an accusation and until he is proven guilty we cannot say he is guilty. Yes there may be pastors that are not living right also remember that God will always have a remnant and He alone knows, let us not be quick to judge him and even if he is proven guilty, I have discovered that it is only in Christianity that we attack our wounded soldiers, what are we to do in this case - as a believer I feel we should pray for him and stand by him and trust God that all things will work together for good, at least I've known this pastor for a while and he has been a blessing to many, let us not forget that we have an enemy that is seeking whom to devour and we are not completely immune to his devices whether as a pastor or laity. Let us trust God for Pastor Adelaja that mercy and truth will surely prevail. Everyone has been affected by the meltdown, here in Nigeria, so many of us have lost money in the stock market crises. I believe if the investment scheme was doing well, no one would have raised an alarm. Moreover from the story, Pastor Adelaja did not hold any position in the company. Let's be wise and not be quick to judge.
@huxley - Be not quick to judge, I believe as humans, you and I are not perfect either, how would expect to be treated when you're faced with trials. Do unto others as you expect them to do to you. ( No offence intended). Peace!

http://www.godembassy.org/en/news/news_publ.php?showdetail=3738

huxley, kunle and his groups are the only righteous nigerians

It`s very bad for people jump at every opportunity to criticise PASTORS that are humans like them who are even doing worse things.  This was a business investment that went sour like AIG, Citi group, Barclays Bank etc. Please leave the man of God alone or else you maybe inviting God`s judgement on yourself for " who are you to judge another man`s servent, it is to his master whether he stands or falls".  Fight for your own salvation. Who says you can`t work even as a pastor.

May the almighty God save us from our 'men of god'. But is this guy still in Ukraine?

JJYOU:

the more i know you, the more i love you.  i am proud to call you a sister God bless you and increase you.

i remember posting hamzahs daughter having a boob job gave me a ban.  the church of God is an unstoppable church. it is a global force for good. like every large family we have members we wish never come to dinning table but God's name be praised He has not finished with them yet.

there is a book of Christ's life being written as we speak  many of you can still add your name. it is open for you. beleive in Jesus and your name goes in. that simple. no religion but a relationship.
huxley, kunle and his groups are the only righteous nigerians

putting kunle with the likes of an atheist like huxley is akin to giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.Kunle has been preaching againt stealing in the name of the Lord all in the name of titthing.He can never be put in the same class as an atheist .I want to state here that pastor adelaja is the only nigerian pastor i Respect I know he is not intom prosperity preaching like most nigerian pastors do.I hope he comes out clean at the end of the day.Leave kunle alone he is doing God'swork.

@Chukwudi44
Thanx for that response i have decided to stop responding to the silly boy course i am not sure he is mentally stable.

dammytosh:

"Another pastor involved in a scam"    and so fuckin wat ? 
It is amazing that some foolish christians enjoy topics that call their faith a bluff, ignoring the fact that a topic like this is just a cheap way of increasing traffic on nairaland to increase ads revenue from google. 

True talk bro

This thing would have indirectly affected me directly in a way,as it did some of my friends
I guess the pastor was a bit overzealous with the way he was alleged to have encouraged church members to invest in kingdom capital (but I doubt that it was a ponzi scheme,and there's gotta be some level on innocence on the pastors side,I'm sure the thing went caput because of the global economic crunch).That's a warning to other pastors,mind how you encourage members of your congregation to invest in schemes you have no direct control of.

On another note,a poster mentioned that the admin does not publish screaming headline scandals of Imams,Sheiks and maybe even juju priests,that appears to be true as no one can claim that ther's a particular sect that's scandal-free.So let the headlining be a bit balanced ok

if he truly belong to God, there is no cause foir alarm, If it's God Hw will do it.

chukwudi44:

putting kunle with the likes of an atheist like huxley is akin to giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.Kunle has been preaching againt stealing in the name of the Lord all in the name of titthing.He can never be put in the same class as an atheist .I want to state here that pastor adelaja is the only nigerian pastor i Respect I know he is not intom prosperity preaching like most nigerian pastors do.I hope he comes out clean at the end of the day.Leave kunle alone he is doing God'swork.

thanks can i know the church and localty kunle does his God's work please. have you seen a thread huxley is in without him doing his anti church or my church / pastor is lovier than yours business?

Myself2:

This thing would have indirectly affected me directly in a way,as it did some of my friends
I guess the pastor was a bit overzealous with the way he was alleged to have encouraged church members to invest in kingdom capital (but I doubt that it was a ponzi scheme,and there's gotta be some level on innocence on the pastors side,I'm sure the thing went caput because of the global economic crunch).That's a warning to other pastors,mind how you encourage members of your congregation to invest in schemes you have no direct control of.

On another note,a poster mentioned that the admin does not publish screaming headline scandals of Imams,Sheiks and maybe even juju priests,that appears to be true as no one can claim that ther's a particular sect that's scandal-free.So let the headlining be a bit balanced ok

you only need to be Christ and His church hater to be loved by seun. plus the small of matter of we cant do threatening fattuahs

@ osisi & JJYOU.
Perhaps the reason for less broadcast of the other religion's scandalous issues lies on the level of tolerance held by both beliefs.

@topic

When shall these Nigerian pastors Home and abroad learn how to separate God's work from business and politics.
The day they learn this, the day they will save us Christians from all these embarrassments and shame. Now tell me how the world can believe him that the investors lost their investment as a result of the economic crises,
Most of them dosnt realise how sensitive their post is as postors.