The disgraced Bishop Israel Makamu is in more trouble than he may have thought earlier this week when his first public appearance on Moja Love TV’s AmaBishop.
Bishop Israel Makamu arrested: Here’s what we know
The rumour mill shot up in a frenzy after it was confirmed that the Endless Hope Bible Church leader was placed in handcuffs and booked for sexual assault on Wednesday.
This, according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is related to an incident that allegedly took place at Makamu’s church offices in 2018.
According to NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane, a former employee of the bishop opened the case last week at the Brackendowns police station in Ekurhuleni.
Earlier this week, City Press had reported that an unidentified woman had opened a sexual assault case against the bishop. In an interview she had conducted with Drum Magazine, the woman had confirmed that she is pursuing serious criminal charges against the bishop.
“I want him to be arrested and to never do what he did to me or anyone else,” she’d said.
Bishop Israel Makamu has been arrested on charges of sexual assault and is appearing at the palm ridge magistrate court today.
— K U L A N I (@kulanicool) May 26, 2021
At this time, it is not known if the sexual assault case relates to the sex scandal involving the bishop where he was heard in a leaked audio recoridng, allegedly soliciting sexual favours from a woman who vehemently declined his advances.
In his ironic return to AmaBishop, a show he once hosted, as a special guest, Makamu had lined up his defence in the audio leak.
In his own words, the bishop claimed that what we heard was misconstrued by the woman who had used the tape as a means to allegedly extort money from him.
Moreover, he alleged that he was, in fact, attempting to pick up church keys from the woman, not to pursue sexual favours. This allegation and other factors of the sexual assault case that’s reportedly gone to court will be laid bare in due time.
“The case was remanded to 13 July 2021 for further investigations,” the NPA concluded.