FUGITIVE televangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy must be spending a lot just to keep criminal litigation at bay – just like what his lawyers are doing in Los Angeles where the self-appointed “Son of God” is facing at least eight criminal charges.
This comes as the Los Angeles, California court reset the scheduled hearing – for the nth time, amid “scheduling conflicts of KOJC lawyers.”
The District Court in the Central District of California has moved the trial date from November 5, 2024, to May 20, 2025, with the pre-trial conference now set for April 7, 2025.
Relatedly, the status conference hearing will continue from October 21, 2024, to April 7, 2025, during which both parties are expected to file motions in ” limine” by March 10, 2025, oppositions by March 24, 2025, and replies by March 31, 2025.
Limine is a pretrial motion made by attorneys to request that certain evidence be deemed inadmissible and excluded from trial to prevent prejudicial or irrelevant information from being presented to the jury.
Quiboloy, along with co-accused are Guia Cabactulan, Marissa Duanes, Bettina Roces, Felina Salinas, and Amanda Estopare are facing charges including conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking of children; marriage fraud; fraud and misuse of visas; bulk cash smuggling; promotional money laundering; concealment money laundering; and international promotional money laundering.
Interestingly, Quiboloy and two other co-accused Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag have remained “wanted” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Los Angeles court earlier suspended the promulgation of the case involving Maria De Leon, a paralegal and travel agent who admitted taking part in the alleged conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and visa fraud with supposed leaders of the KOJC, after a settlement was reached with the District Attorney’s Office for a reduced sentence.
Quiboloy’s lawyers however warded off allegations dragging the televangelist in the fiasco perpetrated by De Leon, whom they claimed isn’t even a member of the KOJC. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
