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From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
An Oyo State High Court in Ibadan began hearing a forgery case against Pastor Mose Ayantoye of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) on Thursday. Ayantoye is facing a 31-count charge for alleged forgery and impersonation.
The prosecution witness, DSP Charles Oluwatoki, testified under the prosecution counsel, Mr. Michael Lana. Oluwatoki stated that he was part of the team that investigated the case while working at the Police Zonal Criminal Investigation Department Zone II in Osogbo.
However, the defendant’s counsel, Mr. Anthony Daramola, objected to the prosecutor’s attempt to tender some documents through the witness, stating that he had not been served with the documents.
The prosecutor then requested an adjournment and promised to provide the defendant’s counsel with all the necessary documents for the prosecution of the matter.
Justice Racheal Akintola adjourned the case until October 8 and 15 for the continuation of the hearing.
The prosecutor had previously alleged that the defendant forged the letterhead of the CAC to write a letter and then forward it to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 11 in Osogbo. Lana claimed that the letter contained false statements against pastors, the church’s solicitor, and officers of the Corporate Affairs Commission, with the intent to have them falsely prosecuted for criminal offences.
The prosecutor further alleged that the defendant, without any authority, created documents of the church and wrote a letter to the Legal Practitioners and Privileges Committee, providing false information to deprive an applicant seeking the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Additionally, the prosecutor claimed that the defendant published a defamatory matter against the President and other Trustees of the Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria in national dailies on October 18, 2021.
The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charges and been granted bail.
