Monrovia – Twenty-year-old Pastor Patrick Gargar of the ‘strange church,’ Saint Assembly International, is spending his fifth night at the Monrovia Central Prison (MCP) after his church failed to secure his bond at the Paynesville City Magisterial Court.
Report by Bettie Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
Gargar is charged with the crime of interfering with child custody, which violates the Liberian statute according to Zone Five Police depot in Paynesville.
His arrest and subsequent incarceration followed a complaint filed by one of the affected mothers, Jackie Perry, who alleged the “strange church” brainwashed her son into doing strange things.
He was imprisoned on July 14 and was requested to file a bond but members of the church told court staff that God is their lawyer. They began praying, singing and sprinkling water, they claimed to be holy water in and around the courtyard.
According to the magistrate, the refusal of the church to leave the complainant’s son is a violation of the court’s order.
The court had earlier issued a refraining order on the church to not go around the complainant’s son but the church ignored the order and its members were found with her son.
The police said on its charge sheet that on May 18, 2018, in the Duport Road Community in Paynesville, defendant (Gargar) willfully and with criminal intent took the private prosecutrix (Jackie) son, Samuel Zoekpa, 17, and carried him to their church without her will and consent.
“While in the church’s custody, the minor changed and not in good faith and is not looking normal, thereby causing serious embarrassment to her.
“The alleged act of the defendant being criminal, intentional, wicked and in violation of the statute, there and then the crime interference with child custody,” the charge sheet said.
On June 26, 2018, Gargar and the church without her consent took her son and baptized him.
Complainant Jackie also stated that her son’s cellphone was taken from him by one of the pastors in May and since then it has not been given back to him.
“On June 27, 2018, my son was taken in the Rock Hill Community, GSA Road to preach without her consent again,” her complaint said.
Gargar told police investigators that he and Samuel attended their church tarry and the next morning June 27, both of them went to evangelize in the Rock Hill Community where an uncle of Samuel saw them.
He admitted that the parent of Samuel had no idea of the tarry, baptizing, and early morning preaching.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, July 18, pastors and members of the church went to the Criminal Court ‘A’ requesting to see Judge Willie but were prohibited since they didn’t carry a written communication as they went to take the magistrate on summary proceeding.