$35m Money Laundering: Rev. Oyakhilome Agents Attempts to Destroy Evidence
But for the 'goCASE' a sophisticated electronic software for monitoring serious and organized crimes, put in place at the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime, UNODC; the money laundering case against Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, would have been dead on arrival.
In the word of an EFCC source, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome`s agents within the commission, had made attempt to compromise the case, by destroying documents associated with the church`s money laundering case.
Huhuonline.com learnt that the money laundering case against Chris Oyakhilome was referred to the EFCC on September 24th 2009 by the Nigerian police force. However, the anti-graft agency is set to invite the controversial pastor to make statements on the source and his involvement in cash transfer of thirty five million dollars.
Huhuonline.com investigations reveal that in Christ embassy ministry, Pastors are given financial targets, and inability to meet these targets attracts dire and embarrassing consequences. Our checks reveal that some pastors have been demoted to ordinary members, while others have been dismissed for their inability to meet their fiscal targets.
In order to avoid this fate, many Christ Embassy Pastors have had to bend over backward to satisfy the top hierarchy of the ministry. To this end, many Pastors have had to borrow, others who have no access to loans, have resulted to collecting money monies from questionable donors, while some pilfer to remain afloat. Christ Embassy Pastors are mandated to submit all monies collected in their parishes to Rev. Chris Oyakholome.
Pastor Lawrence Agada, a former senior cashier with Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, and an assistant pastor of the Ifako branch of the church, donated stolen cash and gifts totaling N39 million to the church.
The fraud was discovered in March 2002. According to police investigations, Agada's donations were in installments. He bought 250KVA and 27KVA generators valued at N4.4 million and N1.5 million, respectively and donated them to the church headquarters and the Ifako satellite parish of the church. Before then, he had given out six million Naira for the renovation of the local satellite church and one million Naira for the purchase of plastic chairs for the church headquarters. He also contributed N1.5 million for the 2002 edition of the church mega crusade Night of Bliss, and one million Naira for another crusade tagged Prosperity Convention.
He 'blessed' Carol Sholesi, then pastor of Ifako branch of the church with N400,000 to enable her attend the 24th congress of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women held in Melbourne, Australia.
Agada also bought musical instruments and chairs for the Agege, Ogba and Oke-Ira churches. He also confessed to using part of the stolen funds to pay church rents.
According to Newswatch magazine,Mr. Lawrence Agada profligacy was allegedly prompted by a letter Pastor Chris sent to him on January 12, 2002 prophesying that God would do mighty things in his life. 'He will cause you to excel and lift you up so high that the world cannot but take notice of you in Jesus name, Amen.'
True to Chris Oyakhilome`s prophesy, the world did take notice of Agada, when he was busted, and became a guest of the Nigerian Police Force.
In 2003,Mr. Gbenga Kehinde, another member of the church who was an assistant manager with Eko International Bank, further dragged the name of the church in the mud when he defrauded the bank of N40 million out of which he donated N10 million to Christ Embassy.
In 2009, Mr.Okoro Osagie Victor, a.ka. Jerry Finger was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for defrauding foreigners to the tune of $96,607 through the internet, of which more than 80 percent of the proceeds of his heist were given to his church, Chris Oyakhilome's Christ Embassy as tithes and offerings.