A London-based Nigerian pastor has today avoided bankruptcy after getting his deprived worshippers to pay his £60,000 tax bill.
Alex Omokudu, 53, was slapped with a bankruptcy order by HM Revenue and Customs over his unpaid taxes. Omokudu, who owns a lavish £2million nine-bedroom mansion in Hornchurch, Essex, is the founder and lead pastor of controversial church Victorious Pentecostal Assembly. In a hearing at the High Court, Omokudu’s lawyer confirmed the church in Barking, east London, will pay his £59,703 debt and £2,775 receivers’ costs in full.
The bankruptcy order was dismissed by the court on Friday morning after HMRC confirmed they had received the money. Omokudu later confirmed the money used to bail him out came from donations, he said: “I don’t have that kind of money. The money came from donations. I’m pleased it has been resolved.”
His solicitor Charles Ete claimed that he had no choice but to use donations as Omokudu owns VPA’s headquarters and if made bankrupt, the church could become homeless. Mr Ete said: “The position is that the members and trustees of the church agreed to donate and repay the money. If they hadn’t, we may have lost the lease on the building, so the church agreed to lend him the money.” Deputy Judge Catherine Addy QC said today: “The case is dismissed with the respondent to pay costs subject to a detailed assessment if not agreed.”Photo Credit: Getty
