(COLOMBO) – Controversial Sri Lankan self-styled prophet, Jerome Fernando was on Wednesday further remanded until December 27 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.
Fernando is facing charges for allegedly putting into poor light other major religions in the country during a prayer meeting held among his faithfuls earlier this year.
Fernando later fled the country to Singapore on May 14 hours before a court ordered an overseas travel ban.
He returned to the country on November 29 after a court ordered the authorities against arresting him on his arrival into the country.
The court order followed a petition filed by Fernando that sought a court ruling to prevent his arrest on his return to the country.
Nonetheless he was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) two days after arriving into the country after he provided a statement to investigators.
Apart from the alleged offending remarks on other religious faiths, Fernando has also become a person of interest into a police investigation on money laundering after millions of rupees were found in bank accounts belonging to him, his family and other proxies.
Fernando has maintained that the funds were received from his faithful both in the country and overseas.