CID informs Court Rs. 12 Bn exchanged through nine bank accounts of Pastor Jerome

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage gave permission to the Criminal Investigation Department to check the personal accounts, private business accounts,

church accounts of Frederick Christopher Jerome Fernando known as Pastor Jerome, who is being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department for making controversial statements through his sermons.

Permission has been granted for CID to inspect nine state and private bank accounts of his wife Melanie Vanculenberg as well.The Magistrate gave permission after considering a request made by the Criminal Investigation Department by filing a motion. Police information disclosed that the investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department showed that an amount of Rs. 12 billion or thereabouts had been exchanged through these bank accounts, so the court has been requested to examine these accounts. The Criminal Investigation Department revealed information that the investigations conducted by the court order will enable it to be confirmed precisely and the amount of money transferred from these bank accounts would be ascertained and informed to the court precisely on the next court date.

The court has given permission to check the accounts of three state banks, five local private banks and a branch of a foreign bank in Sri Lanka.

In addition to the investigation of Pastor Jerome Fernando by the Criminal Investigation Department, the Illegal Assets Investigation Division is also investigating Pastor Jerome for money laundering. The Criminal Investigation Department obtained a foreign travel ban order for Pastor Jerome from the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on May 15, after they started the investigation on him. The day before receiving the order, Pastor Jerome had left Katunayake International Airport with his wife and children for Singapore. Although his wife and children have returned to the country, Pastor Jerome has not yet come back to Sri Lanka. The Criminal Investigation Department has received information that he is currently staying in England.

Investigations have revealed that Pastor Jerome’s religious sect is currently spread in 12 countries in the world and that these countries have its branches in them. The Criminal Investigation Department has also received information that despite being out of the country, Pastor Jerome is conducting services of blessings for his followers online.