The Court of Appeals has extended its freeze order on the bank accounts and properties of Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy until February 2025, according to one of the megachurch’s lawyers.
“I think the Court of Appeals ordered the extension of the freeze order up to February 2025. However, we do not have a copy of that,” said lawyer Dinah Tolentino in a press conference on Thursday.
This was later confirmed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
“In the Resolution dated 20 August 2024, the Court of Appeals extended the Freeze Order for 6 months from date of issuance or until 6 February 2025,” the AMLC said in a statement sent to GMA News Online.
The appellate court earlier issued a 20-day freeze order dated August 6 against the televangelists’ 10 bank accounts, seven real properties, five motor vehicles, and one aircraft.
The order also covered the bank accounts of KOJC and the Swara Sug Media Corporation, which operates the Sonshine Media Network International, the media arm of the KOJC.
In the 48-page resolution, the court said it found reasonable ground to believe that the bank accounts of Quiboloy are “linked to unlawful activities and predicate crimes” such as qualified human trafficking, sexual and child abuse, sex trafficking of children, fraud, conspiracy, marriage fraud, smuggling, and money laundering, among others.
Quiboloy went into hiding shortly after the Senate issued an arrest order against him in March for snubbing its hearings into the controversies involving him and the KOJC.
The 74-year-old self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” is facing charges under Section 5(b) of Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, and under Section 10(a) before a Quezon City court.
He is also facing a non-bailable qualified human trafficking charge under Section 4(a) of Republic Act 9208, as amended before a Pasig court.
Quiboloy has also been indicted by a federal grand jury in the US District Court for the Central District of California for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.
A reward worth P10 million is being offered for any information that will lead to the arrest of Quiboloy. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
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