The Hawks say prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife will appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on Monday on charges of money laundering and fraud amounting to R16 million.
They were arrested in a hotel in Rustenburg in the North West on Friday. Despite the arrest of the couple, the controversial Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church resumed prayers and church service at the Pretoria showgrounds headquarters on Sunday.
Three women were killed and several others injured following a stampede at the church in December 2018.
“The pair will be appearing on Monday at the Pretoria Special Commercial Crimes Court. They are still in custody and we are awaiting the decision of the court. The charges the pair is facing are issues relating to fraud, money laundering as well as the contravention of Prevention of Crimes Act. So those are the three charges being presented for now but there is a possibility that more can be added,” says Hangwani Mulaudzi, Hawks Spokesperson.
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