A Diamond, East Bank Demerara pastor was on Tuesday charged with rape when he appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Joseph Persaud, 37, of Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara was not required to plead to the charge of rape allegedly committed on a 23-year-old female on November 8, 2017.
Persaud was granted $350,000 bail with conditions that he surrender his passport, stay 50 feet away from the victim, make no contact with the victim, her relatives or any other witness in the matter or cause anyone to do so.
He is also required to report to Ruimveldt Police Station every other Friday until the matter is concluded.
The pastor is expected to reappear in court on January 18, 2018.
Persaud, 37, who officiates at a church in Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, turned famous overnight after he was arrested and taken to the Grove Police Station and informed that a rape allegation had been made against him.
He was accused of inviting a member of the church, with whom he shared a relationship outside of his marriage, to his home and performing the act.
The victim on national television admitted that she and the identified pastor, shared a relationship, but after his wife reportedly found out, it turned sour.
On the night of the incident, the victim, who alleged that she aborted three babies for the pastor, said that after she arrived at his house, he reportedly stripped her and had sexual intercourse with her against her will.
A report was made to the police and Persaud was arrested.
Since his arrest, several recordings of phone conversations allegedly between the two were leaked to the media.
On one of the recordings, the voice of a male, purportedly that of the pastor, was heard begging for the victim to drop the case and that he was willing to let her go without making attempts to contact her.
Since this accusation, several other victims have reportedly come forward accusing the pastor of sexual molestation.
After an initial file was compiled on the matter and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, it was recommended that Persaud be released.
The DPP also requested additional information from the police pertaining to several aspects of the case, and the file was subsequently resent.
The final advice was for the pastor to be charged.
