MANILA, Philippines — The arrest of Apollo Quiboloy’s church administrators in the United States is part of a “grand conspiracy” against the religious leader, the evangelist’s spokesperson said Thursday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested top Kingdom of Jesus Christ church official Guia Cabactulan, along with Marissa Duenas in Van Nuys, Los Angeles Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). Federal agents also arrested Amanda Estopare in Virginia.
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The three KOJC administrators were arrested for allegedly committing immigration fraud.
Quiboloy’s spokesperson Israelito Torreon claimed in a press briefing the charges were invented to shame the religious leader.
“We will show to you that this is nothing but a grand conspiracy of lies concocted by former members of KOJC who struck an alliance with forces who have an ax to grind against Pastor Quiboloy,” Torreon said.
He added: “We are ready, able and willing to parry these charges and we will show to the world that pastor is innocent of the insinuations that they have hurled against our client and we will show to them that the administrators were just exercising their religious rights in spreading the good news to the world.”
According to the FBI complaint, Quiboloy’s church administrators submitted false visa applications to allow KOJC members to come to the US under false pretense. But once the members arrived, they were forced to work long hours soliciting donations across the country for charity Children’s Joy Foundation USA.
Those who failed to meet the quota were allegedly physically and psychologically abused.
The church administrators also forced the workers who were good at soliciting money into “sham” marriages so they could stay in the US.
Quiboloy’s ‘influence’
His spokesperson also claimed the case was filed to somehow stop the influence of Quiboloy.
“At first, he was saddened because he knows that the persons behind this recent complaint were persons very close to him. He was ready to forgive these persons if they decided to go back to the kingdom. That hope was thrashed because of the filing of this complaint recently,” Torreon said.
He added: “But he is sending his message to all his members not to be downtrodden, not to be saddened.”
Quiboloy—who proclaims himself as the “appointed son of God”—is a senior pastor of KOJC, a church he founded in 1985. His church claims to have six million followers all over the world.
In October 2018, Hawaii News Now reported that a former KOJC member accused Quiboloy of running a "child sex ring." Earlier that year, federal agents also found $350,000 worth of cash and gun parts inside his private jet.