Sentencing Looms For Ex-Pastor Convicted Of Stealing Church Funds In Naas, With Claims That He Has Been Ostracised And Left With No Friends

Senior Counsel Damien Colgan appealed to Judge Martina Baxter for leniency in her sentencing.

A former pastor of a Christian church based in Kildare convicted of 87 charges - including theft of around €125,000, deception and company law offences - has appeared at a sentencing hearing in Naas.

As well as stealing money, Ebenezer Oduntan, former pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) City of David, ran an elaborate fraud, generating payments from the Revenue Commissioners.

When his bank accounts were analysed as part of a criminal investigation into his finances, he was found to have passed five times more than his declared income through his accounts for the years 2012-2018.

During the trial, Oduntan pleaded guilty to some of the charges.

The jury returned guilty verdicts to the outstanding 54 against him.

Mr Oduntan’s trial was told he stole church funds, including cheques made payable to cash and cheques of up to €20,000 made payable to him personally.

The church is based at Naas Enterprise Park, Naas, and at one point had a membership of more than 100 families, many of whom were the source of the donations from which Mr Oduntan benefited.

Senior Counsel Damien Colgan appealed to Judge Martina Baxter for leniency in her sentencing.

He said Mr Oduntan has been ostracised by his community and has no friends.

Oduntan is due to appear at Naas Circuit Court for sentencing on 18 April next.

In an interview with Kfm about the scandal, the current Pastor Albert Adewunmi said there are strict financial procedures in place at the church that are overseen by a number of "professionals".

He said he works on a "voluntary" basis.

He said members of the church have made donations for general upkeep and that "not a single penny is spent without being scrutinised".

"None of us draw a penny," he said. "It's all voluntary".

He added that the actions of the former Pastor "do not define the church" and that members "will continue to pray for each other".

"Our services have been of a great benefit to the community. It is open to everyone in Kildare. For the former Pastor to have put us in such a negative light is not good, but I want to reassure members that we advocating for moral uprightness," he said.