𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝

A leading Liberian Newspaper has claimed that an Indian national, Manoj Kumar, who is masquerading as a Pastor was refused entry into Liberia in 2021 because he was considered a security threat by the country’s Immigration Service.

According to Front Page Africa August 2, 2022 Online publication, Manoj Kumar, alias Manoj Kumar Vatwani  who was only a devotee of the Geeta Ashram (the Hindu Worship Centre), down Water Side, Monrovia was later seen parading as Pastor or Priest and as a General Manager of the Worship Centre.

In an apparent attempt to save members of the public from being tricked by the ‘fake pastor’, the Head of the Temple, Mr. Laxmandas T. Bhojwani, President of the Geeta Ashram declared in his Notice of Concern published on July 30th, 2022 that Manoj Kumar was only a devotee of the centre, not a General Manager or a Priest. “All the information being circulated about his position in Geeta Ashram as General Manager, Priest or Pastor is false, baseless and misleading.”, Mr Bhojwani declares in the Notice of Concern.

Manoj who is now reportedly living in Sierra Leone was in 2021 refused entry into Liberia by the West Africa country’s Immigration Service who declared him a national security threat. He was later the same day put on a plane to Ghana onwards to his country of origin, India.

On September 14, 2021, he sued the Liberian Immigration Service for refusing him entry into the country which he considered as his right and demanded a Declaratory Judgment from the court. The Liberian Immigration Service speaking through the Ministry of Justice said in response that “a country may grant or deny a visa to anyone without explanation”

There are reports that Manoj surfaced in Sierra Leone early this year when his appeal to return to Liberia was dealt a severe blow.