Joint investigations between the Fiji Police Force and the South Korean authorities are ongoing into the activities of Grace Road Church in Fiji.
This has been confirmed in a statement by the Fijian Government which says that government notes the sentencing in South Korea of the leader of the Grace Road Church.
Grace Road Church founder, Shin Ok Ju has been sentenced to six years in prison by the South Korean Court.
The South Korean court found Ok Ju guilty on several criminal charges including violence, child abuse and fraud.
The statement says any business operating within Fiji, including the Grace Road Church and its business groups, is required to adhere to Fijian laws and any allegations of breaches of Fijian law will be fully investigated in the usual manner.
The Fijian Government has also stated that Fiji is a close friend of South Korea and offered the full support of the Fiji Police Force towards any investigations into the Church's activities in Fiji.
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Grace Road Church founder sentenced to 6 years in prison by South Korean Court
Shin Ok Ju convinced her followers to move to Fiji in 2014, claiming they would be safe here from imminent natural disasters.
Once they arrived, their passports were confiscated and many of them were allegedly subjected to beatings and brutal rituals supposedly aimed at driving out evil spirits.
Shin was arrested last July.
South Korean court also sentenced five other church officials where some got suspended sentences while others were sentenced to 42 months in prison.
Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, Yogesh Karan had earlier said that the government is treating the church and its business operations as two entities despite them having the same founder who has been convicted and sentenced.
Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, Yogesh Karan
Karan had said that he had been through the foreign workers' records and they were all in the clear.
He said 95 percent of them came to Fiji between 2013 and 2015 and so far none of them have breached their visa conditions.
He said there's no reason for them to be investigated.
The government had not received any directive from Interpol regarding any of the Grace Road workers.
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