US Seeks Extradition of Filipino Church Leader Apollo Quiboloy Over Fraud And Other Criminal Charges
- The United States formally requested the Philippines extradite celebrity preacher Apollo Quiboloy, who is currently held in a Philippine jail
- Quiboloy faces serious criminal charges, including money laundering and marriage and visa fraud in the United States
- The Philippine ambassador to the US confirmed American authorities want Quiboloy handed over as soon as possible
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Filipino celebrity preacher Apollo Quiboloy is at the centre of an urgent international legal battle after the United States formally requested his extradition from the Philippines to face serious criminal charges.
Source: Getty Images
According to a Bloomberg report, the US government has charged Quiboloy with inappropriate relationship smuggling, money laundering, and marriage and visa fraud.
The controversial religious leader has already been detained in a Philippine facility over separate criminal offences.
The Philippines receives US extradition request
Philippine Ambassador to the United States, Joseph Manuel Romualdez, confirmed that Washington has communicated the request through official channels and made clear that time is a factor.
"The formal request was transmitted to the Department of Justice. It was transmitted by the U.S. State Department. They want Quiboloy ASAP due to numerous cases in the US," Romualdez was quoted as saying by the Philippine News Agency.
The request needs approval from two Philippine courts, which have been trying the detained former televangelist for similar charges, according to two officials.
The preacher has denied the allegations, stating that they were fabricated by critics and former members who were dismissed from his religious group.
Who is Filipino church leader Apollo Quiboloy?
Quiboloy, aged 76, leads the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, a religious organisation headquartered in Davao City in the southern Philippines.
The controversial pastor founded the church in 1985 and has built a significant media and television presence and cultivated a large following both domestically and in Filipino communities abroad.
He previously served as spiritual adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, who rose to power in June 2016.
Reports indicate that Quiboloy features on the FBI's most wanted list, with American prosecutors alleging he was involved in inappropriate minor smuggling as part of the charges brought against him in the United States.
The preacher's legal troubles span two jurisdictions, while the US pursues extradition to try him on its own set of allegations.
He is among nine people named in a superseding indictment returned by a US federal grand jury and unsealed in November 2021.
Philippine courts are separately processing cases against him tied to sexual offences committed within the country.
The US extradition request now sits with the Philippine Department of Justice, which will assess whether the conditions for transfer of Apollo Quiboloy are met under the existing treaty framework between Manila and Washington.
The Instagram post detailing the US extradition request for Apollo Quiboloy is below:
Nairobi court approves 3 Kenyans' US extradition
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a Nairobi court approved a US extradition request for three Kenyans to face trial abroad on serious cybercrime charges.
As these individuals faced potentially decades in federal prison for their involvement in a multimillion-dollar online scam, the case raised significant concerns about the reach of international law enforcement and the implications for Kenya's standing in global cybercrime efforts.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
