Magistrate Ben Barco of the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice has ordered the incarceration of Rev. Emmanuel Nimely, pastor of the Forkay Klon Family Fellowship Church.
He was sent to jail at the Monrovia Central Prison on Friday, June 7, 2024 after his lawyers failed to secure a criminal appearance bond for his temporary release.
Rev. Nimely, a religious advisor to former President George Weah, stands accused of multiple crimes including Theft by Deception, Receiving Money under False Pretense, Visa Fraud, Issuing or Obtaining Deceptive Writings and Suspected Human Trafficking.
The action of Rev. Nimely, according to the police, is in violation of chapter 15, subchapter D, section 15.51, and chapter 15.72 of the revised Penal Code of Liberia.
Nimely was arrested on Sunday, June 2, 2024 in the Dwazon Community along the Roberts International Airport Highway and has since been in police custody based on a complaint filed by H. Momo Fortune, Jr.
Police investigation revealed that complaints were filed by H. Momo Fortune, Jr., and many other individuals alleging that Nimely deceived them with promises of visas for a church conference in Australia.
According to the investigation, Nimely admitted to collecting funds under false pretense and stated that his inability to refund the money to participants who did not receive the promised visas was a blunder on his part.
Police investigation revealed that Nimely’s organization, the Global Spiritual Cleansing Peace & Reconciliation was involved in organizing a fraudulent foreign conference in Australia.
The organization allegedly collected funds from participants for visas and other documentation fees under false pretense. Funds were reportedly transferred to foreign accounts and individuals.
Police officers brought to light concerning allegations of fraudulent activities related to the organization’s visa program and the misappropriation of funds.
Police investigation also established that in early August 2023, Rev. Nimely received the amount of US$970 each from 90 persons totaling US$87,300 under the pretense of taking them to Australia to attend church conference.
It was established that Nimely opened a private account with the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) with account title ‘Global Spiritual Cleansing, Peace and Reconciliation’ and deposited the amount of US$40,500.
