By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): Supreme Court anticipatory bail application filed on behalf of Prophet Jerome Fernando has been dismissed by the judiciary yesterday. However Prophet Jerome was not present at the court as he was now in Singapore. CID and financial investigation unit of the central bank are conducting investigation in to money laundering charges against him.
Controversial Prophet Jerome Fernando currently facing allegations of defaming religions including Buddhism and amassing unaccountable wealth is to be arrested following his return to the island from Singapore owing to the overseas travel ban issued against him, official sources revealed.
A fundamental rights petition has been filed by a group including Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero and several others at the Supreme Court seeking the issuing of an order to the IGP and the respondents to arrest Pastor Jerome Fernando for making a statement that is offensive to religions and to enforce the law against him.
Prophet Jerome Fernando has been alleged of leading luxurious life dressing in luxury brands such as Gucci and Tom Ford, using funds collected by the church for his personnel needs, several public interest activists complained.
When his ‘spiritual father’ Uebert Angel was exposed by the Al Jazeera Investigative Unit (iUnit) for money laundering using his diplomatic status in the Zimbabwean government, Prophet Jerome came under the radar of Inland Revenue Department but no inquiry has been initiated due to lack of evidence and public complaints, IRD sources disclosed .
Two senior IRD officials confirmed that Prophet Jerome Fernando is not paying any taxes to the government and especially his records cannot be detected at the moment as his NIC number or personnel details were not available at the IRD.
Further Prophet Jerome’s outfit Glorious Church management has not been given any tax exemption under any conditions up to now. Further as an individual he has to declare his assets and wealth if there are any under the Inland Revenue Act.
But no taxes would be imposed with regard to any place of religious worship under the Inland Revenue Act, senior IRD official said adding that Prophet Jerome’s outfit has not been classified as a place of religious worship.
By tradition, temple property was exempt from all taxation or any form of revenue if they are registered at the government as a religious site. But this exemption is only for the monks.
Most of the other places connected to religious work have to pay taxes even if they are registered. Because exemption from taxes comes under a certain ordinance and these institutions are not included in it, two IRD officials confirmed.
Glorious Church as a Ministry has fulfilled all regulatory requirements and pay all taxes to the Government, management of the church said.
