The City of Vaughan, north of Toronto, has laid 50 municipal bylaw charges against the Miracle Arena For All Nations church and three people linked to it, including allegations that it operates illegally on protected Greenbelt land, the National Post reports, citing the Investigative Journalism Bureau.
The church is run by Martin Kofi Danso, a self-described prophet who has faced allegations of sexual and financial misconduct from former members. He has not been criminally charged, denies the claims and is not among those charged. The charges cover zoning, property standards and animal welfare.
Danso says the church is lawful under a 1988 bylaw and a 2020 zoning certificate, but the city says the provincial Greenbelt Plan overrides that. Ontario's associate attorney general, Michael Tibollo, previously told congregants he would help seek a Greenbelt exception.
Source: National Post
Photo: Thornhill Heritage Conservation District, Vaughan by Silver Dovelet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Vaughan.
