“It’s not like investigating money laundering by itself,” Owens said. “It is challenging to investigate pastors and churches for possible financial crimes, explained Marcus Owens, former director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which oversees churches in the United States. Some of these investigations have been open for years without formalizing charges and, at least in one case, the inicial acusation expired before any decision was made. This investigation found cases in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Colombia in which the authorities – anti money laundering units or prosecutors – started financial investigations on suspicious money flows, tax avoidance and luxury real estate registered by religious leaders or their families. This is one of the findings of the cross-border journalistic investigation Havens of Money and Faith, by Columbia Journalism Investigations (CJI), the Latin American Center for Investigative Reporting (CLIP) and nine other media outlets, which reviewed 60-plus recent investigations and judicial cases involving churches or their leadership.
When internationally-famous religious leaders or their churches – some of them well established in the Americas – are accused of financial crimes such as money laundering or fraud, they can face years of scrutiny but are seldom found guilty or innocent. Some of these investigations have been open for years, and have yet to draw any conclusions. With reporting from: Mariel Fitz Patrick, Raúl Olmos, Rute Pina, Flávio Ferreira, Martha Soto, Mercedes Agüero R, María Teresa Ronderos Andrés Bermúdez Liévano, Asier Andrés, Nathan Jaccard and Emiliana Garcia.Ī cross-border journalistic alliance found that in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico and Colombia, authorities have opened inquiries into whether or not religious leaders were involved in money laundering.
Beatriz Muylaert, Rebekah Ward, Matthew Albasi and Giannina Segnini.
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