Exactly one year and two months ago, we were publicly massacred in the media by prosecutors of the São Paulo Public Ministry. Vicious and aggressive stories made the headlines of Grupo Folha, Veja magazine and O Globo newspaper. Globo TV also broadcasted hours of manipulative and biased reports.


My colleagues, the UCKG and I were bashed without being given a chance to defend ourselves.
But, our faith never shook because we trusted the judicial system. We had faith in the fair, honest men that occupied the judiciary positions of power and, above all, we believe in a greater Justice; the one that comes from the Throne of God. It is written: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” (Luke 18:7).


Now, all we have to say about the São Paulo judge’s decision is in the letter written by our attorney, Arthur Lavigne, in August of last year.


Read and analyze what was written at the time and what the courts have decided to do this week.


Attorney’s letter to Bishop Edir Macedo

Dear Bishop Edir Macedo,

Once again, the Public Ministry of São Paulo along with the Judicial Ministry of São Paulo filed a complaint against you and other religious leaders and colleagues of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, for the alleged crime of money laundering and other acts of criminal behavior.


These are nothing more than the repetition of accusations from a previous procedure initiated in 1999, which was set on proving the existence of money laundering and tax evasion. The Public Ministry is trying to pin the same accusations on the same defendants from before.


In the 1999 investigation, Bishop Edir Macedo, along with other religious leaders of the Universal Church, were extensively investigated for many years. It was finally closed and filed away in 2006 by the Supreme Court at the Attorney General’s Office request.


I repeat, the Public Ministry wants to accuse the same people again, through a procedure that was duly filed away by the Supreme Court of the country – the STF. Ultimately, they are investigating facts that have already been decided and finalized. And behold! The same prosecutor that requested the investigation be put away now wants to investigate it all over again; not even the members of this institution can be understood.


The accusation of the moment is nothing more than a repeat of the previous occurrences filed away by the Supreme Court. The accusations once again revolve around what occurred in 1992, when some religious colleagues obtained loans abroad to help pay for the purchase of Record TV in Rio de Janeiro.


Throughout the years, these loans were paid in installments, which also ended up being considered as money laundering.

The fact is that Globo TV persecutes Bishop Edir Macedo because of Record TV’s rapid growth in ratings, which have threatened to or have already surpassed Globo TV’s audience ratings. They’re unable to conform to this.


In yesterdays, August 11th Jornal Nacional, the time dedicated by the news anchor’s report in discrediting the work of the Universal Church, its evangelical beliefs and its numerous social outreaches exceeded any measure of common sense. During the 35 minute broadcast, more than 1/ 3 of the time was aimed at attacking the church and its pastors, who have nothing to do with these new accusations brought forward by the Public Ministry of São Paulo, who has now decided to investigate each person individually.


More over, Globo TV is totally inconsistent in its news reports. During the Jornal Nacional they attacked the Universal Church as if it were the instigator of the offenses, when they perfectly knew that individuals were being investigated and not the church. But, in their newspaper – O Globo – they wrote that the Universal Church and its followers are victims. That is, while practicing their right of “free speech”, they’re also giving two different accounts of the same information in two totally distorted forms. In one report they attack the UCKG and in another they say that the pastors and its followers are victims!


There’s only one explanation for this: they’re searching to boost their audience rates. They’re creating cheap tabloid journalism because they know that bad-mouthing the UCKG in Brazil boosts ratings; even if we’re not being investigated.


In the same manner, the Folha de S. Paul newspaper published a front-page headline that was so outrageous and absurd, it sounded like they were writing about the greatest political scandal in the country.


The truth is that these criminal accusations don’t even deserve an answer. We’re facing these accusations with the same tranquility we did the other times. Our biggest and undeniable defense is that the Supreme Court has investigated such facts and has filed them away on behalf of the Attorney General.


We’re certain that these new accusations will have the same ending result.


Arthur Lavigne

Lawyer