Con-man bishop evades jail but faces bills for sales of bogus Covid ‘cures’
Bishop Climate Wiseman – the man who gained notoriety for selling fake Covid remedies during the pandemic – has been given a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, after being convicted of fraud.
Southwark council’s Trading Standards team led on the investigation into the self-styled faith healer-preacher and subsequent prosecution at Inner London Crown Court.
The sentence was delivered this week where Wiseman was also ordered to undertake 130 hours of unpaid work and to pay the council £60,072.50 to cover their legal costs.
A council spokesman said: “We condemn the despicable actions of Bishop Wiseman. His abuse of power makes his dangerous profiteering all the more terrible.
“Wiseman has promised people false cures for many years now, saying his oils cure Covid, cancer, HIV and more, when they patently can’t do anything of the sort.
“It was vital that people followed government advice during the pandemic, and doctors’ advice when seriously ill. Suggesting otherwise is irresponsible and could well put people at serious risk.
“We are satisfied that this sentence reflects the seriousness of Wiseman’s crimes and hope that it gives pause to anyone who is considering pedalling false cures.”
Bishop Wiseman, also known as Climate Irungu, operated out of Kingdom Church in Station Road, Camberwell and sold bottles of ‘Plague Protection Oil’ for £91, claiming they could cure and repel Covid.
This was at a time before the development of vaccines.
A Southwark council spokeswoman said after he was found guilty of fraud in December: “We are delighted with this guilty result, it shows that no one is above the law.
“Wiseman’s claims preyed on people from the start of the first lockdown, a time when most of us were scared and worried about coronavirus and what the future held.
“Wiseman’s behaviour was little more than exploitative commercial opportunism disguised as an article of faith.”
Pictured top: Bishop Climate Wiseman speaking to supporters (Picture: PA)
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