Church pays back part of ‘dirty money’

THE Voice of God Tabernacle has pledged to repay every last cent of the N$283 000 it received from Namangol Investment CEO and church member Nico Josea – and has already returned N$100 000, the High Court inquiry tracking the Social Security Commission’s missing N$30 million investment heard yesterday.

Pastor Dawid Smith told Acting Judge Raymond Heathcote that the church would not accept tainted money. “We don’t want to accept any money that was obtained dishonestly, because it will enter the church unblessed,” said Smith, speaking through an interpreter.He said he would see to it that the church returned all the money “to the last cent, 100 per cent”, Smith added.In fact, he calculated that the church had received about N$297 000 from Josea.He said the church had received a lump sum of N$230 000 and smaller amounts that brought the total to N$297 000.Heathcote asked Smith to help liquidators track “brothers” from the church’s branch in Angola to whom Josea said he had given US dollars.But Smith said the visitors to the church were never seen again, and he said he did not know any of the names on a list drawn up by Josea.Smith said he believed the Voice of God church in other countries would be prepared to pay back ill-gotten gains if they could be traced.”Considering the message that we preach, they should do the same thing,” said Smith.The court learned from the SSC’s legal counsel, Andrew Corbett, that Smith’s son John, who was fingered earlier in the inquiry as having received N$100 000 from Josea, had on behalf of the church already made arrangements with PriceWaterhouseCoopers auditors to return the money the church had been given.Corbett also asked him to check whether Josea’s brother Benedictus, who is the treasurer of the church, had also contributed amounts in excess of N$5 000 to the church.Smith pleaded ignorance as to the financial matters of his church, saying that as the pastor it was his job to deal with the spiritual aspects and that the administrative matters were left up to members.He said he had no idea what amounts of money his members were contributing.”The church’s approach in paying back the money is commendable,” Heathcote remarked before excusing Smith from the witness stand.Two weeks ago, the inquiry heard that Smith’s son, John, Peter Boonzaaier and Heinrich Helm – all members of the Voice of God Tabernacle – had collectively received N$1,1 million from Josea to tide them over during troubled times in around February and March this year.They all testified that they believed Josea was “blessed” and that they envied him for being “successful”.”We don’t want to accept any money that was obtained dishonestly, because it will enter the church unblessed,” said Smith, speaking through an interpreter.He said he would see to it that the church returned all the money “to the last cent, 100 per cent”, Smith added.In fact, he calculated that the church had received about N$297 000 from Josea.He said the church had received a lump sum of N$230 000 and smaller amounts that brought the total to N$297 000.Heathcote asked Smith to help liquidators track “brothers” from the church’s branch in Angola to whom Josea said he had given US dollars.But Smith said the visitors to the church were never seen again, and he said he did not know any of the names on a list drawn up by Josea.Smith said he believed the Voice of God church in other countries would be prepared to pay back ill-gotten gains if they could be traced.”Considering the message that we preach, they should do the same thing,” said Smith.The court learned from the SSC’s legal counsel, Andrew Corbett, that Smith’s son John, who was fingered earlier in the inquiry as having received N$100 000 from Josea, had on behalf of the church already made arrangements with PriceWaterhouseCoopers auditors to return the money the church had been given.Corbett also asked him to check whether Josea’s brother Benedictus, who is the treasurer of the church, had also contributed amounts in excess of N$5 000 to the church.Smith pleaded ignorance as to the financial matters of his church, saying that as the pastor it was his job to deal with the spiritual aspects and that the administrative matters were left up to members.He said he had no idea what amounts of money his members were contributing.”The church’s approach in paying back the money is commendable,” Heathcote remarked before excusing Smith from the witness stand.Two weeks ago, the inquiry heard that Smith’s son, John, Peter Boonzaaier and Heinrich Helm – all members of the Voice of God Tabernacle – had collectively received N$1,1 million from Josea to tide them over during troubled times in around February and March this year.They all testified that they believed Josea was “blessed” and that they envied him for being “successful”.