Cokanauto guilty of all charges

High Court Judge, Justice Salesi Temo will sentence Leader of Jezreel Lion of Judah, Jone Cokanauto at 11.30am tomorrow after finding him guilty of all the charges today.

Cokanauto was convicted of five counts of rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

He raped and indecently assaulted a group of female followers who were his prayer warriors in Nasinu and Taveuni between 2005 and 2012.

While delivering his judgement, Justice Temo said that he finds the evidence of all complainants as credible.

Justice Temo said that Cokanauto preached that if he has sexual intercourse, the complainants would be cleansed and if a child will be born, it will be a child of God.

He said that he also accepts the evidence from the bible school teachers that those bible verses had nothing to do with sexual intercourse.

Justice Temo said that Cokanauto misinterpreted the teachings of the bible to enable him to corrupt young girls.

The judge said that Cokanauto managed to entice the complainants to his web of deceit.

Justice Temo said that he finds that the complainants consented on most occasions but Cokanauto had falsely misrepresented to them.

The presiding judge said that Cokanauto was not cleansing but raping the girls, and also indecently assaulted and attempted to rape one of the victims.

Justice Temo said that he finds it was not real consent from the complainants and he does not find the evidence from Cokanauto and the defence witnesses as credible.