Hawks arrest pastor for alleged sex crimes

20 April 2017 - 19:10 By Michael Kimberley And Lee-Anne Butler
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A controversial Durban-based Nigerian pastor‚ wanted in connection with allegations of sexual assault‚ was arrested at the Port Elizabeth airport on Thursday afternoon.

Hawks spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the pastor had been arrested shortly after arriving at the Port Elizabeth international airport by the Hawks and members of the South African Police Service’s Tactical Response Team (TRT).

“The 58-year-old pastor allegedly trafficked young women and girls from various branches of his church to a house in uMhlanga‚ Kwazulu-Natal‚ where he allegedly exploited them sexually‚” Netshiunda said.

  • Nigerian pastor accused of sexual assault hires a lawyerA controversial Nigerian pastor has hired prominent Port Elizabeth defence attorney Alwyn Griebenow to represent him in the face of allegations that he sexually molested young girls at his home in Umhlanga‚ Durban. 

He said the pastor would appear before the New Law Court in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Earlier‚ HeraldLIVE reported that a large police contingent arrived at the airport around 3pm to conduct the arrest.

Shortly before his arrival‚ defence advocate Terry Price‚ who was waiting for his client at the airport‚ got into a verbal argument with a member of the Hawks‚ it said.

Price questioned whether they would be arresting the pastor. The pastor’s lawyer‚ Alwyn Griebenow‚ had previously said his client would be meeting police for an “interview”.

The pastor was handcuffed and escorted from the airport by a number of police officers.

He arrived at the Hawks premises in King Edward Street‚ Newton Park‚ shortly after being escorted from the airport‚ HeraldLIVE reported .

-TMG Digital/HeraldLIVE

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