The Samoa Worship Centre in Auckland is being investigated by the Department of Internal Affairs for crimes related to cryptocurrency fraud. This is the second church to have alleged ties to a multi-billion dollar scam involving the OneCoin cryptocurrency. US authorities have also charged a OneCoin leader with fraud.
Experts and investors state that members of the Samoan community in Auckland were targets of a scam perpetrated by OneCoin’s representatives. Members of the community spent thousands of dollars to purchase OneCoin.
Internal Affairs released a statement to RNZ saying that an investigation is underway into the Samoa Worship Centre based in Auckland. This new development has much in common with IA’s June 2019 statement in connection to the Samoan Independent Seventh Day Adventist Church (SISDAC), which made similar allegations about that church.
The police and Samoa’s Central Bank are currently investigating SISDAC and the Worship Centre for money laundering. Avele Tanielu, a pastor in the Samoa Worship Centre, says he knew about the investigation but has disavowed any links between the church and OneCoin.
In May of last year, a Worship Centre representative based in Apia has said that they were not involved in any misconduct and are seeking legal action towards the Samoan government.
The government, citing a New Zealand police report, says that the two churches were involved in part of an investment scheme network used to channel millions of dollars in OneCoin cryptocurrency from New Zealand to Samoa, where it is now banned.
SISDAC has cooperated with the investigation up to this point, and denies any involvement in money laundering. For its part, OneCoin insists that they have not done anything wrong, and bear no responsibility for any “independent contractors” who resell their cryptocurrency.