Church sues HIV-positive ex-member

The New Vision, Uganda/August 18, 2008

A church in Kampala has sued a woman living with HIV/AIDS and a pastor for defamation.

Last year, Frances Adroa and Pastor Solomon Male accused the Universal Church of The Kingdom of God of taking Adroa's car with promises of healing her but her condition did not change.

Adroa was member of the church on George Steeet, while Male heads Arising for Christ Ministries.

Male, an outspoken pastor, has been critical of many of the mushrooming born-again churches.

He has blamed a number of pastors for engaging in ungodly practices and defrauding the faithful they lead.

Magistrate Jolly Nkore of Mengo Court yesterday set September 9-10 for the hearing.

The church's leaders, Gilson Costa and Gerald Nkayi, were not in court but their lawyer Deepa Verma Jivram said Adroa and Male caused publication of defamatory statements which injured the status and character of her clients.

Jivram submitted some of the newspaper articles published last year in which Adroa claimed that her car, a Hyundai, was taken during faith healing sessions by the pastors, who said she would recover.

But Adroa's status never changed and she demanded a return of her car, which she said had been damaged beyond repair.

Jivram said they would also produce television footages and radio recordings.

She also submitted a log-book and transfer form signed by Adroa

Adroa and Male are represented by David Kaggwa.

Male, who attended the court, later told The New Vision that he was approached by Adroa to investigate her case and presented the outcome to the media. He vowed to submit more evidence.

The case comes after several claims by followers, mainly in born-again churches, that their pastors had ripped them of cash with promises of being healed of AIDS or getting fortunes that never materialise.

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