Cleric’s ex-wife settles accounts

THE scorned ex-wife of a “cheating” pastor spoke this week of the relief of closing a sordid chapter of a story replete with lies, cellphone recordings and phone sex.

This week, former Pietermaritzburg resident Olive Gounden applied to the high court for an order that her former husband’s alleged lover, Cynthia Rajagopaul, pay her R300 000 in damages.

In her court papers, Olive said that Rajagopaul, the wife of a junior pastor at the time of the alleged affair, had seduced her husband, Moganathan “Prega” Gounden.

Moganathan is the founder of the Vision Apostolic Christian Church in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg.

He and Rajagopaul allegedly had an affair over a period of 20 years.

The Goundens moved to the US in an attempt to save their failing marriage, but later divorced.

Olive had planned to submit as evidence recordings of conversations laced with sexual references between her former husband and Rajagopaul.

She obtained the recordings after hiring a private detective to investigate the alleged affair.

Both Goundens still live in the US, but they have no contact with each other.

Moganathan continues to preach at rallies across the globe.

Rajagopaul at first opposed Olive’s application and the matter was set down for a three-day trial.

But the parties came to an agreement on Wednesday.

Olive’s attorney, Shamla Pather, said the details of the settlement would remain confidential.

But both parties said they were satisfied with the terms of the settlement.

Rajagopaul denied that she was involved with the pastor while he was with his wife.

Olive said she was looking forward to “moving on”.

Olive, who has three children by Mognathan, said settling the case had brought “the closure I have been waiting for for all these years”.

“It was difficult because it seemed that I had very few people on my side who were willing to stand up for the truth.”

She said she would be continuing her work as a women’s rights activist in her adopted country.

“I am looking forward to beginning a nonprofit organisation of my own in the US focusing on women’s rights issues, to which women like myself can turn to find a voice and the help they deserve.”