Police order embattled bishop to submit church registration, property documents.

Bishop Josephat Gwajima (L) of Glory of Christ Tanzania Church with an aide when leaving Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam yesterday after six hours of questioning. (Photo: Halima Kambi)

Police in Dar es Salaam yesterday questioned embattled Glory of Christ Church head Bishop Josephat Gwajima for six hours, later ordering him to submit to them various documents.

 

The documents include those relating to the registration of his church and his personal effects – among them a helicopter and his posh Hummer utility sports vehicle.

 

The police order followed the clergy’s nearly six hours of interrogation at the Central Police Station in the City carried out from 07:014 hours to around 12:45 hours.

 

Briefing reporters’ moment before he left the station Gwajima said the interrogation went on well and that it did not touch on any matters between him and Arch Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Dar es Salaam, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo.

 

 In the same vein, the clergy directed the journalists to get more information from his lawyer John Mallya who told the journalists that Bishop Gwajima’s questioning by police was not about the allegations of insulting Polycarp Pengo.

 

 “My client was grilled much on personal issues rather than what we expected the police to do,” he said.

 

Mallya explained that the police ordered the clergy to submit ten documents for examination.

 

They include documents of the Church’s registration certificate, the church’s registration number, the structure of the church leadership, a list of the Church’s Board of Trustees and related documents.  

 

Others were a copy of the Tanzania Christian Forum (TCF) document which was circulated to the church’s faithful about the proposed constitution.Also police demand from the clegy the register of all churches countrywide. The number of houses .which belong to the church and his other sources of income apart from  church thankgiving. 

 

He said all such information and documents are required by Thursday on April 16, this year.

 

The lawyer said his client was intending to sue the police for asking him irrelevant questions.

 

On March 27, this year Bishop Gwajima surrendered himself to Dar es salaam Special Police Zone Offices for questioning after he allegedly insulted Archbishop of Dar es Salaam Episcopacy Polycarp Cardinal Pengo while preaching in Dar es Salaam last Sunday. 

 

Before going into the interrogation room bishop Gwajima claimed that what he did was to reprimand the Cardinal for opposing the pronouncement of the Bishops’ Forum, in which case it was not an offence and that he was surprised by the police to call him to explain for something he did not do.

 

 The controversial bishop  was accompanied by some of his followers, including advocate John Mallya.

 

 Gwajima was interrogated for an audio and video clip that trenchantly criticised the Roman Catholic Church Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo.

 

  During the interrogation, Gwajima  condition suddenly started to change and was rushed to Kilwa Road Barracks Hospital for examination.

 

 Gwajima was later transferred to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) for further check up where he didn’t stay for long before being transferred to TMJ Hospital. But he was discharged recently.

SOURCE: THE GUARD