BUSHIRI’S CHURCH AUCTIONED

ECG Francistown goes under the hammer

TROUBLE seems to be forever at the front door of the embattled Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG) Francistown branch.

The Church will today (Friday) and tomorrow, Saturday, auction its property to pay-off outstanding legal bills. Property to be sold include chairs, tables, sound system, office furniture, computers and many other items.

The auction, according to the outgoing National Secretary, Pelotshweu Baeng, will be conducted by Thata Noke Attorneys, who represented the church in its litigations.

The church, which was de-registered last year following failure to regularise with the Registrar of Societies, has 58 branches across the country and Francistown was among the biggest.

Last year, this publication ran a frontpage story (Bushiri’s Church in fight for P1 million, 12th July, 2019) in which Pastor Lilian Mmoloki was accused of misappropriation of church funds amounting to over P1 million.

The auctioning of the church property has not gone down well with some members who are demanding answers on why their church is being sold to the highest bidder while they are still awaiting reports on their re-registration.

CONVERSATION

In a Whatsapp group conversation leaked to The Voice, members claim that the National Advisory Committee (NAC), led by Baeng, is raising money to settle legal bills of their embattled Pastor Mmoloki.

“We don’t owe anybody. If Mmoloki owes lawyers she should settle the bill herself, not sell church property to pay off her personal debt,” reads one statement.

In an interview with The Voice Pastor Mmoloki, however, said she was not aware of any auction happening this weekend.

“It’s news to me. This is not my church, the NAC is the one in charge and would be in a position to know about this,” she said.

The Pastor also said she didn’t know of any legal bills that require to be settled.

“I don’t have any outstanding legal bills,” she said.

Meanwhile, Baeng told The Voice that it was important to put this issue into perspective.

“The church no longer exists because it was de-registered,” he said.

Baeng said at the time of the dissolution they entered into an agreement with Thata Noke Attorneys that church property would be auctioned to settle the legal bill.

“The auction has nothing to do with ECG because the church does not exist anymore as a legal entity. This matter is solely about a law firm which is simply converting property into cash to settle their bill,” Baeng explained.