One of the megachurch’s lawyers said the Court of Appeal extended its order freezing the bank accounts and assets of Apollo Quiboloy, the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, until February 2025.
“I believe the appeals court ordered the freeze to be extended until February 2025. However, we do not have a copy of it,” attorney Dinah Tolentino said at a press conference on Thursday.
This was later confirmed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
“In the resolution dated August 20, 2024, the Court of Appeals extended the freezing order for six months from the date of issuance or until February 6, 2025,” the AMLC said in a statement sent to GMA News Online.
Previously, on August 6, the Court of Appeal ordered a 20-day freeze on the televangelists’ ten bank accounts, seven properties, five motor vehicles and one aircraft.
The order also affected the bank accounts of KOJC and Swara Sug Media Corporation, which runs Sonshine Media Network International, the media arm of KOJC.
In the 48-page resolution, the court said it found reasonable grounds to believe that Quiboloy’s bank accounts were “linked to unlawful activities and predicate offenses” such as qualified human trafficking, sexual abuse and child molestation, child sex trafficking, fraud, conspiracy, marriage fraud, smuggling and money laundering.
Quiboloy went into hiding shortly after the Senate issued an arrest warrant for him in March for ignoring hearings on the controversies surrounding him and the KOJC.
The 74-year-old self-proclaimed “Son of God” faces charges under Section 5(b) of Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act) and Section 10(a) of the Act before a Quezon City court.
He is also facing a charge of trafficking in persons under Section 4(a) of Republic Act 9208, as amended, before a Pasig court, for which bail is not available.
Quiboloy was also indicted by a grand jury in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, conspiracy and cash smuggling.
A reward of P10 million is being offered for any information leading to Quiboloy’s arrest. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
