Gospel for Asia in Canadian Court Hearing: Once You Find Out the Truth About Your Donation, Stop Giving If You Don’t Like It

Today, a Canadian court held a hearing to decide whether or not a lawsuit would be certified as a class action suit. Attorney Paul Guy represented plaintiff Greg Zentner in the effort to certify the case as a class action suit representing all donors to Gospel for Asia – Canada.

Attorney Jeffrey Leon represented GFA – Canada and argued that the suit should not be certified as a class action suit. Leon also made an argument that donors have no standing to sue since they suffer no loss when they donate, even to a fraudulent organization. Leon told Justice Cavanaugh that Canadian authorities could weigh in and prosecute fraud if it exists. However, individual donors don’t have a loss to sue over, according to Leon.

It was curious to me that Leon sought to cast doubt on the identity of GFA in India during the recent raids on Believers’ Church. Even though the funds sent to Believers’ Church came from GFA, he sought to distance K.P. Yohannan’s organization in India from GFA-Canada. Overall, it appears to be a large part GFA-Canada’s defense to pretend there is no connection between GFA-Canada, GFA-World, Believers’ Church and the various trusts in India.

Yohannan’s organizations are controlled by him and his family. Various national groups send their money to Believers’ Church in India (or at least did when Believers’ Church was allowed to accept those funds). Money was donated in Canada with the intention of sending it to India for use by Believers’ Church. If donors checked one box for use of their funds (e.g., poor people), but those funds went for building for profit hospitals and schools or a purpose other than checked by the donor, it is hard to escape the conclusion that the charity misled the donor.

Read the briefs (“facta” in Canada) associated with the case thus far.

Factum for Greg Zentner (plaintiff)

Respondents Factum Pat Emerick and GFA World

Factum of the  United States Defendants, Gospel for Asia, Kadappiliaril Punnose Yohannan, Daniel Punnose, and David Carroll

Reply Factum of Greg Zentner

Observations

Jeffrey Leon said K.P. Yohannan doesn’t have control over the GFA/Believers Church organizations. Historically, Yohannan has been in control, but I can see claiming he isn’t or hasn’t been in charge is an ongoing part of GFA’s defense. However, I have shown in numerous blog posts that Yohannan is involved in nearly all of the GFA organizations around the world. He has said in the past he doesn’t sit on the boards in India; however, I showed that he does (or at least did in 2015).

It is stunning that GFA’s lawyers cast doubt on the charities raided by India authorities. As a legal strategy, one can claim that hearsay can’t be admitted, but this is deceptive. Of course, the Indian government raided Believers’ Church, the same church that is run by K.P. Yohannan and takes funds from GFA-Canada and GFA affiliated organizations around the world. What do all of the donations go for? They are sent to India. Since 2017, those funds have been received illegally. Who knew about that? Who approved it? Who used those funds despite them being accepted from Canada against Indian law? Is anybody really going to try to make a case that K.P. Yohannan didn’t authorize all of those actions?

GFA’s case summed up by attorney Jeffrey Leon is this: If you don’t like how we used your donations, then don’t give us any more money. And if you want to claim we used it fraudulently, then tell it to the regulatory agencies. Don’t sue us for fraud.

What a smug, dismissive line of thinking. How are donors supposed to know what they are donating to if GFA doesn’t tell them? When donors find out that funds are used for purposes other than specified, it is too late.

 

9 thoughts on “Gospel for Asia in Canadian Court Hearing: Once You Find Out the Truth About Your Donation, Stop Giving If You Don’t Like It”

  1. I’m no lawyer, not by far, but the line of thought that “if the donors think we defrauded them, they should have the government investigate us for fraud, not pursue a class action lawsuit” reminds me of a story I once heard (true or apocryphal, I couldn’t tell you).

    Once there was a man who bought a box of very expensive cigars and had them insured. He smoked them, and then filed an insurance claim for the cost. The insurance company took him to court and argued that he used the cigars as intended, so of course they didn’t owe him a payout; he argued that, by the letter of their agreement, they had to pay him back. The smoking man actually did win in court. Then the insurance company had him prosecuted for 20 separate cases of arson. Oops.

    So, K.P., as they say in meme world … https://media.giphy.com/media/65os7odbIW6pa/giphy.gif

    1. Has anybody checked out GFA’s website recently? OUR STEWARDSHIP COMMITMENT: “Regardless of particular preferences, moneys are raised for ministry purposes, and GFA retains discretion to use funds in any manner that serves our charitable objectives.” GIFT ACCEPTANCE POLICY: “Gospel for Asia maintains full control over all funds donated, and ultimate discretion as to their use, including redirection to other organization needs.” DISPUTE RESOLUTION: “… expressly waive all rights to file a lawsuit.” Looks like the site has been scrubbed of any mention of India too. It says “Asia” now. The sad truth is, KP would not still be around except for staff that enables him and donors that finance him.

  2. These comments from Jeffrey Leon are evil. This is the best “Christians” can come up with? I hope GFA gets sued for everything they have. They need to closed up shop.

  3. This latest news shows two things very clearly to me: One – KP is a foolish idiot at this point and Two – He has managed to hire lawyers who are even more stupid then he is at this point. This brazen line I would have a hard time believing a judge would buy, unless he can be bribed. Yet the brazenness makes me wonder…

  4. This latest news shows two things very clearly to me: One – KP is a foolish idiot at this point and Two – He has managed to hire lawyers who are even more stupid then he is at this point. This brazen line I would have a hard time believing a judge would buy, unless he can be bribed. Yet the brazenness makes me wonder…

    1. I can’t call the defense lawyers stupid, they aren’t.
      They get paid no matter how foolish their clients are.
      The arguments are quite thin to be sure, but these 2 high powered law firms made them er, vigorously. ;^)

      In a perfect world, GFA would fold like a tent and leave Canada.

      This is foolish.
      There are plenty of faith based experts to chose from who can make honest, cognizant relevant points.

      GFA USA is offering KP as a “Faith-Based Expert Available for Interviews on India COVID Crisis.”

      His talking points:

      The catastrophic impact of India’s devastating “second wave”
      The threat posed by India’s deadly new variant
      What local church leaders in India are pleading for most right now
      Getting aid shipments — including vital oxygen supplies — to the most needy areas
      How your readers, viewers or listeners can help

      Really.

      1. KP lets no chance to milk a real crisis go by. He has made a lot of Mammon off of doing that and will continue until the day he slams head first into hell’s gate. I will stand by my statement that going in front of a judge in any country and saying that it does not matter what our charity actually does with the money is an insanely stupid strategy. It is like, “Who the F cares if we are a fraudulent org?” Just because they are high paid does not mean that they are shrewd. I have noticed that most brilliant people in this world are conceited and become brilliant fools. The lack of the fear of God or a belief in a judgment at the end of this life will do that to anyone.

  5. Those documents are very interesting reading.

    Will Pricewaterhouse Coopers cease to be current auditors if the class action is approved?

    Interesting that the Hamilton CPA firm that did their books was censured by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. Can’t remember the name of the firm offhand.

    The skill set and tenacity of Rev. Bruce Morrison is commendable.
    Particulars in the fraud and conspiracy section are nauseating.

    If I’m reading correctly if the court decision is class action, this case proceeds in the fall?

    I see Charity Intelligence Canada and Mark Blumberg are up to date on GFA World’s behaviors, but sadly GFA World donors don’t tend to research and read these sites.

  6. this post/article serves to reinforce my opinions on the vast majority of lawyers.

    strangely enough, my opinion of most lawyers is very similar to my opinion of Mr. K. P. Yohannan.

    Unscrupulous shysters that attempt to sway people into believing lies.

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