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Defense

Court begins hearing defendants at trial of IURD bishops and pastors

The second trial session of Brazilian and Angolan bishops and pastors of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (IURD) continues on Friday with the start of the hearing of the four defendants.

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Today, the start of the trial on complaints filed in 2019 by a group of Angolan pastors, was marked by a long session of preliminary questions from the court, defense and prosecution on procedural issues, namely the response to various appeals filed.

The defendants are the Brazilian bishop and former spiritual leader of the church, Honorilton Goncalves, bishop António Ferraz, Brazilian pastor Fernando Teixeira, Angolan pastor Belo Kifua, as well as Brazilian pastor Rodrigo César Ferreira do Carmo, absent from the country for have been expelled by the authorities.

To speed up the trial sessions, Judge Tutti António scheduled the beginning of the hearing of the first 15 deponents of more than 80 in the process for the 25th of this month, followed by the next group of 15 others on the 9th of December.

In statements to the press, the lawyer for the prosecution, David Mendes, considered delaying maneuvers the various appeals filed by the defense.

David Mendes said two lawsuits are on trial, one related to money laundering and the second to fraud and fraud, concerning a woman who was allegedly wronged by the church in more than 150 million kwanzas in favor of the church. According to David Mendes, "people were driven to give that money."

The lawyer noted that the current church leadership, recognized by the Angolan authorities, led by Bishop Valente Bezerra, "has ended the holy bonfire, a way of inducing people to give money to the church."

"There were holy bonfires twice a year and they raised over 70 million dollars [61.8 million euros]," he said.

Lusa tried to hear the defendants' defense, who refused to speak.

While the trial was taking place, outside the Luanda Provincial Court "Palácio Dona Ana Joaquina", hundreds of faithful defenders of the Brazilian wing, currently led by Angolan bishop Alberto Segunda, held a prayer chain and effusively greeted the accused Honorilton Gonçalves on the way out. from the court, which stopped the vehicle in which it was going to greet people.

The faithful sang "hallelujah, because the fight goes on, hallelujah goes ahead, in the end we win". Speaking to Lusa news agency, Sidraque Raul, worker of Samba I, said that gratitude led him to be present there.

"Gratitude, because when I was in the world, I was a criminal, a thief, a drunk, the church took me in, [it was] where I found help," he said.

In turn, Rosa Chindumbo, another faithful present at the site, said she felt very good when she saw Bishop Honorilton Gonçalves, guaranteeing that the faithful "will never bow down".

"And we will fight until the end, our church is the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, this church in the name of Jesus, no one will ever take it away, no one will stop. I have been in the Universal Church for 20 years, which is not 20 days , we are standing here stronger to support our church and our works", said Rosa Chindumbo, who arrived at the place at 5:50 am "to support Bishop Honorilton Gonçalves".

The case dates back to 2019, when a group of Angolan pastors dismissed the Brazilian leadership, with several accusations, including evasion of currency, racism, mandatory practice of vasectomy, among others, all rejected by the missionaries of the church created by Brazilian Edir Macedo.

Brazilians, in turn, also accuse Angolans of acts of xenophobia and aggression.

In the course of the situation, which was also marked by the forcible seizure of temples across the country by Angolan bishops, the Angolan justice decreed the closure of the temples, and some resigners were also invited to leave the national territory.

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