Magistrate Komolafe maintained that the popular televangelist must
come to court and tell the coroner what he knows about the collapsed
building.
The Lagos State coroner, Oyetade
Komolafe, in charge of the inquest sitting on the collapse of a guest
house with the Synagogue Church of All Nations has insisted that the
church's founder T.B. Joshua must appear before the court in person.
The
order came after prophet Joshua's counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, told the
court that in line with Section 35 of the Coroner Law, there was no need
for Joshua to appear before the court since any other person from the
church could give evidence.
Vanguard
reports that the coroner, Magistrate Komolafe maintained that the
popular televangelist must come to court and tell the coroner what he
knows about the collapsed building.
He rejected
arguments from Joshua’s lawyers that he should not be summoned because
he did not directly witness the September 12 tragedy.
No fewer than 115 people died in the September 12 collapse, leaving many other with varying degrees of injuries.
“The court has the power to summon whoever it deems necessary to assist it,” Komolafe told the hearing.
“The
counsel should advise The Prophet to come. The church is not on trial.
It’s not a matter of ego. Nobody is above the law. The court will be
fair to all.
“If he is an institution with
immunity, the court will not even go there. If the man refuses to come,
he can be arrested. He has to appear. We summoned The Prophet. We
summoned the contractors.”
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