The Accra High Court has ordered both the Winners Chapel International (WCI) and its subdivision in Ghana to evaluate and share all properties the two parties acquired between 1996 and 1997 when the church was established until 2004 when WCI and Winners Chapel Ghana (WCG) went their separate ways.

The court’s order follows a13 year old legal battle between the Winners Chapel International and Winners Chapel Ghana (WCG) over the ownership of Winners Chapel.

The former filed a suit which sought to evict Winners Chapel Ghana (WCG) from the church premises and claim all properties belonging to the church.

However, the court, presided over by Mr Justice K.A. Ofori-Atta, held that the WCI, headed by Bishop David Oyedepo, was not duly registered in Ghana, as prescribed by the Companies Act, 1963 (Act 179) and, and therefore, had no legal basis to operate a church or any other business in Ghana.

READ MORE: Police use force to disperse demo against far-right

The Court also concluded by declaring “that all the acts purported to have been done by the plaintiff in breach of sections 27, 196 and 197 are illegal and invalid.”

Bishop Adjeman was a pastor of Winner Chapel International in Nigeria, but was transferred by the church to head its Ghana branch in in 2012.

According to the documents filed by lawyers for Bishop Adjeman in the case, when Bishop Adjeman came to Ghana, he realised that the church was not being run properly.

READ ALSO: Telecoms company steps up legal battle with Apple, asks iPhone ban

He claimed the church had no structures to ensure accountability and every aspect of its operations was being done without recourse to the law.

His further claim was that the church had not appointed an auditor, it had no certificate to commence business and its finances and general administration were not being managed well.

Furthermore, Court documents showed that in 2004, when the Registrar-General’s Department asked all companies that had registered with it to update their records, Bishop Adjeiman made a move to “properly register the church” and named it Winners Chapel Ghana.

READ ALSO: Samson Lardy Anyenini dragged to General Legal Council over conduct

Subsequently, the Winners Chapel Ghana parted ways with the mother church based in Nigeria. The action at the time was based on claims that the church was being mismanaged.

The High Court dismissed the substantive suit by the Winners Chapel International on the basis that, it was not duly registered in Ghana, therefore, could not lawfully claim any of properties being contested.