‘Billion-dollar pastor’ in court for fraud

PASTOR Vishnu Lutchmansingh of the Faith Sanctuary Church in Cunupia yesterday appeared in court charged with 38 counts of fraud. When Lutchmansingh, of Cunupia, appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court, Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington read the 38 charges which alleged that he obtained $3.2 million under the pretence that he was the sole beneficiary of an estate in the United States worth billions of pounds sterling. Lutchmansingh, founder of the Faith Sanctuary Church which has a large gathering of followers in Cunupia, gave himself up to police at the San Fernando CID on Saturday. After spending the night in police custody, bail was secured for Lutchmansingh in the sum of $4.5 million late Sunday evening.

Charged by Insp Andrew John of the Fraud Squad in San Fernando, Lutchmansingh, dressed in a navy blue suit, was yesterday accompanied by members of his congregation as he made his way into the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court. In 29 of the 38 charges against Lutchmansingh read by Wellington, it was alleged that between October, 2001, and December, 2004, he (Lutchmansingh) took $2.18 million from poultry businessman Shaheed Mohammed, president of Nutrimix. The money was taken, the charges alleged, on the pretence that he was beneficiary of an estate and would repay Mohammed several billion dollars. The same charges were read against Lutchmansingh for defrauding John and Janet Raymond; Errol Ramlal and James Ferdinand of $1 million. On those charges read to Lutchmansingh, it was alleged that the pastor had promised to repay one hundred billion pounds sterling. 

The charges alleged that the businesspeople issued the money to Lutchmansingh via cheques from First Citizens Bank, Republic Bank and RBTT branches in Point Lisas, Chaguanas, Marabella and San Fernando. The charges stemmed from a claim by Lutchmansingh that Budford Keaton of Olive Hill Kentucky, USA, died in 1997, and left Lutchmansingh as the sole beneficiary of an estate worth billions of pounds sterling by virtue of a will dated December 24, 1996. Yesterday, Lutchmansingh stood unperturbed, his hands clasped in front of him during the 45 minutes it took Wellington to read him the 38 charges. Lutchmansingh was not called on to plead since the charges were laid indictably.

Court prosecutor Cassie Harricharan told Wellington that the DPP would have to appoint a State Counsel to prosecute the matter. Lutchmansingh’s attorney, Sash Permanand, countered that some of the charges may disappear in the interim. Permanand requested that his client’s passport and licensed firearm, which were seized by the police, be returned to him. Permanand told the magistrate that his client would be required to travel abroad on business. However, Wellington denied the request and advised Permanand of their right to apply to the High Court. Wellington transferred some of the cases to the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court for January 27. Others were postponed to May 23 to be heard in San Fernando.