An American Court has awarded punitive damages against breakaway pastors of the Bowie branch of MFM in Maryland, USA, for Breach of Trust and illegally hijacking the branch and Its assets in 2017.
The judgement followed an action filed in 2018 before the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County in Maryland, USA, with suit number CAL16-26532 by the MFM International seeking damages against former resident pastor, Lawrence Adetunji and eleven other members for converting the church properties to their personal use.
The Court, in its ruling, ordered Pastor Adetunji and his co-defendants to pay the sum of $146,916.54 to MFM Ministries as damages for their unlawful action.
This latest judgement is sequel to an earlier ruling in 2018 in which the court upheld the several claims of plaintiff, dismissed the Defendants’ counter claims and ordered the breakaway pastors to promptly surrender to the MFM, the church properties which they had hijacked and illegally converted to themselves.
Although the defendants had complied substantially with the earlier ruling, they nonetheless retained the proceeds of their breach of trust i.e. the funds generated during the period of their insurgency which became the subject of the latest course of action instituted by the MFM.
In granting the full prayers of the MFM, the Court asked the plaintiffs to file a motion for the reimbursement of all legal costs incurred by the MFM to be paid by the defendants.
In 2017, Pastor Adetunji Lawrence connived with eleven other members to fraudulently rename the MFM Bowie branch as Christ the Truth Ministries and proceeded to convert the property and monies entrusted in his care to the new ministry, registered and owned by him, his family and friends.
Counsel to MFM International explained after the ruling that judgement of this nature guaranteed in every society where the rule of law and social justice prevail, will go a long way to deter renegade pastors and ministers who see the church as an avenue for profiteering rather than evangelism which is the original purpose of church propagation
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