CEA case: a pastor tried by the CRIET for online fraud

He is accused of having enrolled at least thirty-five of his congregants on the CEA online investment platform, now suspended after complaints from numerous investors.

According to the prosecution, the platform operated like an online investment scheme promising quick returns after an initial payment. Several members, alerted when withdrawals stopped, filed complaints, believing they had been victims of an organized fraud. Among them are members of the congregation led by the defendant.

The pastor, placed in custody, pleaded not guilty. He said he was only one of the platform’s subscribers, claiming not to know the people who had contacted him.

But the Court challenged him on the very logic of his role: how could he have invited so many people to join him without engaging in some form of active promotion, and in whose name?

The CRIET adjourned the case to January 20, 2026, for further proceedings.