(COLOMBO) – Controversial Sri Lankan Pastor Jerome Fernando was arrested on Friday in connection with an ongoing investigation where he is alleged to have slighted other major religions in the country, police said.
The self-styled pastor who prefers to be called a ‘prophet’ was taken into custody by sleuths from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after a statement was recorded by him, they said.
Fernando arrived at the CID in the commercial capital of Colombo for the second consecutive day to give a statement in connection with controversial remarks made by him during a Sunday prayer meeting.
Fernando also gave a statement to the CID on the previous day barely 24 hours after arriving into the country from London via Doha.
Fernando fled the country on May 15 shortly before a court issued an order for his arrest and a subsequent travel ban.
Fernando is scheduled to be produced before a local Magistrate later on Friday, according to his lawyers.
Earlier the court directed the authorities against arresting Fernando while he arrives at the country’s international airport in Colombo.
He is also a person of interest in an ongoing police investigation into unaccounted swollen bank accounts registered in his name and other proxies connected to him.
Fernando has maintained that the monies were collected from well wishers and wealthy donors both in the country and elsewhere who were connected with his church.
Fernando has also drawn the ire of the powerful Catholic Church in Sri Lanka which has accused him of encouraging its faithful to join his pray meetings and related programs.
Fernando is also widely believed to maintain a high degree of ties with local politicians and well known sporting personalities.
He has also been accused of influencing the selection process of the country’s cricket team and known to maintain connections with former senior top players.
Fernando has repeatedly refuted the allegations as false and misleading and made without any substance of evidence.
Fernando is also believed to be connected with another self-styled prophet in Zimbabwe identified known as Uebert Angel allegedly involved in an international gold smuggling ring and money laundering.
Angel known to be connected with the top political hierarchy in that country was busted in an undercover operation carried out by Al Jazeera journalists earlier this year.
He was also Zimbabwe’s Ambassador-at Large for Europe and the Americas.
