Botswana deports Kenyan pastor over fraud

GABORONE, Sunday - A Kenyan pastor and his family have been reportedly deported from Botswana for misappropriating church funds and property and dubious business dealings.

The private weekly, Botswana Guardian reports in its current edition that Pastor Chris Barasa attempted to illegally transfer a plot belonging to City Bible Ministries to his name and operating unregistered businesses under the aegis of the church to avoid paying tax.

It is reported that the little known pastor often wrote false reports and submissions which included audited accounts on behalf of the church to the government.

Pastor Barasa of the obscure Gaborone-based City Bible Ministries was reportedly declared a Prohibited Immigrant (PI) early this year but he escaped from Botswana before he could be served with a deportation order.
“Pastor Barasa was long declared a PI but he skipped the country leaving behind his wife and relatives. The law enforcement units never found him to serve him with a deportation order. His wife and relatives and the ones we served recently,” the Botswana deputy spy chief Mr Tefo Kgotlhane reportedly told the Guardian.

The deportation order was served on Pastor Barasa’s wife Pascelisa and close relatives. The Pastor is accused of money laundering, fraud and attempting to grab church land in Gaborone. The land was allegedly bought by members who were asked to contribute a minimum of P6,000 each (approximately Ksh 66,000).

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Kenya association in Botswana Mr William Kaboro said that they are not aware of Pastor Barasa’s deportation nor that of his family.

Mr Kaboro told the Nation that they do not even know Pastor Barasa. “I go through the membership register regularly and I have never seen a name like that (Chris Barasa). No we are not aware of him,” Mr Kaboro said.

Pastor Kingship Ntabotha of City Bible Ministries said he does not know the fate of Pastor Barasa. “We have not heard about it,” he said.