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By IOL Reporter, ANA Reporter 
8h ago
Cape Town – Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri, who fled South Africa to Malawi just days after being released on bail, told supporters on Saturday that he was a law-abiding citizen who had no intention of evading trial. for the fraud charges against you.
In a Facebook live feed Saturday night, Bushiri told his followers that several police officers tried to extort money from him between 2017 and 2018.
He claimed that they threatened to arrest him on what he claimed were bogus money laundering charges. Bushiri also claimed that he was forced to send his children to Malawi for their safety.
According to Bushiri, he denounced the threats to various ministers and senior law enforcement officials, including former Minister of State Security Bongani Bongo and former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser, and even brought the matter to Ipid, where cases were opened against the five policemen.
According to him, his private jet was attached on money laundering charges, even though he was never charged with such a crime.
Bushiri claims that the same police officers against whom he had filed complaints subsequently arrested him for fraud committed by people associated with his Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church. He says that he, along with his partners, raised more than 50 million rand to help people scammed by unidentified individuals.
Bushiri also claimed that numerous attempts have been made to assassinate him, including an incident in Sandton in February this year for which police have yet to make any arrests.
He also claimed that one of the police officers who arrested him on immigration charges is currently under investigation for corruption in a different matter.
He said he would ask the government of Malawi to intervene in the matter and:
1. Ask the South African government for assurances that you would be safe;
2. Ensure that the officials who allegedly target him are removed from the case so that he can receive a fair trial.
He also claimed that as a black person, the fact that he was arrested by white police officers and appeared before a white judge makes it impossible for him to be tried fairly.
According to Bushiri, his lawyers will submit a request to the court on Monday not to revoke his bond. He says it will be presented to Malawian law enforcement officials as proof that he is not trying to evade justice.
“I believe in the South African justice system and I believe that if independent investigators could be appointed, he could receive a fair trial,” Bushiri said.
The Hawks confirmed Saturday that Bushiri and his wife, Mary, breached their bond conditions.
ECG church leaders returned to Malawi, citing safety and security concerns.
The couple, who were released earlier this month on bail of 200,000 rand each, said they temporarily returned to their home country “due to security concerns since 2015, matters that worsened when we were released on bail.”
Hawks spokesman Col. Katlego Mogale said investigators and prosecutors have been working tirelessly since the couple failed to show up at the police station.
“There are unconfirmed reports that the Prophet Bushiri and his wife have escaped from South Africa, in violation of their bail conditions set out in the Pretoria Magistrates Court,” Mogale said in a statement.
“At this stage, we can confirm that he did not show up at the police station as requested and agreed, which is also an act of contravention of the court order.
“Investigators along with prosecutors have been working tirelessly since it came to light that he did not show up at the police station. The current posts that were allegedly issued by Bushiri, who is said to be in Malawi, are being authenticated and verified. “
He said an investigation was underway into the breach of the court order.
On November 4, Magistrate Thandi Theledi granted the Bushiris and two other co-defendants bail in Pretoria Magistrates Court and stressed that all four had to meet certain conditions, otherwise the State would be obliged to revoke your bail.
Theledi gave the Bushiris a bond of 200,000 rand each.
As part of their bail conditions, the Bushiris had to surrender title to their Centurion property as collateral and were prohibited from traveling anywhere else in South Africa.
Theledi said they could only travel within Gauteng and the northwest until the case was finalized.
IOL and ANA
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