The Self-Styled Jesus from Luwero district has been remanded to Butuntumula Prison for obstructing enumerators from counting him and the followers.
On Wednesday morning, Jesus Navas Vera the King of Star Glopper Eden church and his follower El Shadai Gresher of Katikamu Luyima zone in Wobulenzi town appeared before Luwero Grade one Magistrate Christopher Adyeeri Kingi Tindyeebwa following their arrest on Monday for refusing to be counted.
Navas Vera arrived in the courtroom with his crown as a self-styled King of Kings before the magistrate ordered him to remove it in Court. He declined till the prison guard removed the crown from his head to stand trial.
The Prosecution led by Sarah Nakibe told the court that, the two accused persons on 13th May 2024 neglected or refused to be counted contrary to section 29(3) of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act.
A guilty plea was entered after Navas Vera told the Magistrate that he refused to be counted because he was the son of God who didn’t come from this earthly world.
However, the Magistrate stopped him from giving more details, advising him to do so after all the facts of the offense had been read to him.
Navas Vera also ordered her follower El Shadai Gresher to accept the offense before the magistrate warned him against interfering with the court process. The follower later also pleaded guilty to the offense.
The Luwero State Attorney Sarah Nakibe told the Court that the facts of the offense were not yet ready and asked the Court to adjourn the case.
The Magistrate Christopher Adyeeri Kingi Tindyeebwa remanded the two accused persons to Butuntumula Prison until 29th May 2024 when they return to court for facts to be read and sentenced.
Navas Vera and the follower were immediately whisked back to Court cells to wait for a prison van to transport them to Butuntumula prison.
Earlier on while arriving at the court, Jesus Navas Vera said that the black people have a chance that Jesus has finally come to save them and wondered why they don’t believe in him.
According to section 29(3) of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act, any person who hinders or obstructs an authorized officer in the execution of lawful performance of any power imposed in the act commits an offense and faces imprisonment for six months or fine not exceeding thirty current points or both.
Over 100 families of Bajiri cult in Kamira sub-county in Luwero district have also refused to be counted insisting that the census is satanic.