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Prophet Shephard Bushiri at the Pretoria Magistrates Court.
Frennie Shivambu, Gallo Images
- An arrest warrant has been issued for Shepherd and Mary Bushiri.
- The Pretoria Magistrates Court issued the order after the couple failed to show up to police on Friday, based on their bond conditions.
- The evangelist said Saturday that they had to flee for their own safety and because they feared they would not get a fair trial.
An arrest warrant has been issued for evangelist Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary, according to South African government spokeswoman Phumla Williams.
“He’s a wanted man as of today,” Williams told News24.
READ | IPID says Bushiri was ‘too busy’ to elaborate on police extortion complaint
The order was issued by the Pretoria Magistrates Court.
The Enlighten Christian Gathering church leader, his wife Mary and three other people are accused of fraud involving around R102 million.
The couple were out on bail of 200,000 rand each when it emerged that they had failed to appear for their registration Friday with the police, which is a requirement in terms of the bail conditions.
On Saturday, Bushiri said in an interview that they had fled because they believed their lives were in danger in South Africa.
He also claimed that they would not receive a fair trial. He did not say on what basis he made the claims.
The Malawian government tweeted that President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation were denied permission to leave South Africa on Friday night amid repeated searches, which the Malawian government considers a serious violation of protocol.
The coincidence between Bushiri’s escape and Chakwera’s trip sparked speculation that the Malawian leader, or at least his delegation, helped the Bushiri flee.
This is a developing story. More information to follow.
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