Despite the onslaught against it, AMI has not been wiped from the face of the earth and continues to thrive, adapting to the changed conditions, and continuing to help others. Supporters have not deviated from their Christian walk.
Never let the FACTS get in the way of a good ‘Witch-hunt’…
This section intends to refute the man-made doctrine, hearsay, smears, gossip and spite-filled innuendo so ferociously peddled by the media, a few former AMI supporters, police and tax officers, and those so carefully used by the shadowy drivers of this witch-hunt.
This is the tip of an iceberg that was carefully crafted by powerful men who had been completely corrupted by the authority loaned to them as politicians during the time they masqueraded as representatives of the people of South Australia. It was time for them to engage in character defamation via gossip, vicious slurs & outrageous lies…
Why would such people be interested in destroying a small, non-denominational Christian church and charity?
Pure Greed…
The very thing they were accusing the Church of being – they were the ones motivated by a demon of GREED within themselves to disseminate false lies and create panic. Its usually the case – when someone falsely and fiercely condemns another it is to hide the fact that they are doing the very thing they accuse others of doing ! The information supporting this statement can be found here on the ‘Antagonists’ page.
Divorced from the truth…
The revelations you read herein are supported by verified FACTS, true ‘proof’. A concept becoming rare in this time of the 24 hour news cycle supported by ‘scribblers’ operating as a media pack. Professionals who check evidence, and test the reliability of witnesses now a rarity.
Anyone can make claims – regardless of how outrageous they may be.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
A selection of the Myths perpetrated by the Media about AMI, it’s Pastor
& Ministers and THE TRUTH EXPOSED…
Myth 1: ‘AMI is a doomsday cult’ – total nonsense!
Fact: AMI is a non denominational Christian church with teachings directly from the New King James version of the Christian- Judeo Bible.
Comments: According to the Collins Dictionary a ‘doomsday cult’ is a cult, typically with a charismatic leader, that expects the world to end badly soon, and behaves accordingly. NONE of the crazy predictions peddled by disgruntled people and aired by the media has happened. These were the opposite of Christian teachings in fact that God created the earth and would not destroy it.
In their outlandish claims it was foretold by these same confused people that if everyone concerned hadn’t left Australia by June 2010 something terrible would happen…
… And here we are years on …nothing, zero, naught, zilch, nil, ….so lies upon lies spewing out of the mouths of those with something to gain to create false narratives of what supposedly someone said.
Wisdom: says to look at the Tree – (i.e: the person’s character) – and Jesus said “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” in John 10:37 NKJV Bible. He could not do such powerful works of miracles signs and wonders without sanctification or the Holiness of God within Him, and so too any man or woman of God that does the same. So to smear a servant of God that is producing good results for the Kingdom of God (ministry fruits) in healing, restorations etc, will set any person up for Judgement by the Hand of God. One must be extremely careful not to criticise or perpetuate evil speech against ANY servant of God for the consequences will come upon that person quite quickly according to the Word of God. They are essentially speaking evil against the Spirit of God not merely just a man or a woman. See Judgments
Myth 2: ‘Ps Leo fled from Australia because of police raids’
– wrong !
Fact: Ps Leo left Australia for the South Pacific on an international aid and missionary research trip on the 16th May 2010 – 3 days BEFORE the raids took place on the 19th May 2010.
Comments: Documented evidence of their passport entry stamps into Fiji and communications with Fijian Presidents Office, Government authorities and Vanuatu confirming appointments for meetings days before the raids (of 19/5/10) lay bare this trumped up story. Copies of Australian Immigration country exit forms and passport entry stamps into Fiji clearly show Ps Leo & Ass Ps Veneziano had left the country on the 16th May 2010 – 3 days BEFORE the raids for scheduled meetings with the Fijian President’s Office. Even SAPOL have confirmed this as the truth on their website [ref. Myth # 3].
It is the media that distorts facts and sensationalises complete and utter lies to create a deceptive narrative. They must be held accountable for their actions.
Myth 3: ‘Ps Leo has been charged with having huge stores of ammunition and assault weapons and firearms’ – wrong again !
Fact:
Ps Leo has NOT been charged with any firearm offences or ammunition stores or the like (as ammunition was planted there to discredit him and the Church).
Overview of facts :
SAPOL (South Australian Police) – using massive tax payer resources & watched by about 20 media personnel …
> Raid 19 May 2010 with – 90 officers+ raid Agape Church and targeted parishioners homes (all except for Judas Iscariots/Martin Penney’s & Phil Arbon’s residence. A year before in 2009 Martin had been previously charged with Federal offences including having unsecured and loaded weapons in his home yet got off all charges in 2009 scot-free! [Hmm funny that ! – was he used by highest SAPOL hierarchy and corrupt Politicians to try to ‘take down the church’ and its vast wealth in Mineral exploration licences it owned and especially given the ease of setting up the raids as he had his brother-in-law that worked as a high ranking Police Officer Sgt Robert Michaels of the SAPOL Police force that conveniently lived next door??? Was Martin set up to do so in exchange for his own charges dropped??] Phil Arbon was a known bikie and drug user (that has since died from a drug overdose and was used by Martin Penney to peddle lies and harass Ministers).
> Raid 20 May 2010 – 40 Officers, bomb squad take away two safes at AMI Oakden property & diving team drag dams on AMI Kuitpo farm property
> 26 May- 2nd search of one supporters property – 40+ personnel + who knows how many days of research by fraud squad resources
Outcome :
> All firearms found were legally registered to their owners – mostly parishioners that were sport shooters or licensed and stored at their homes and raided there.
> All firearms, except one were securely locked in gun safes.
> Single firearm that was not in a gun safe at the time of the police raid on one parishioner’s home was, at the time of SAPOL’s visit, being cleaned by it’s legal owner, K.M (11 other registered firearms on his country property & ammunition were stored in locked, secure containers).
> Ammunition found in shipping containers at Kuitpo farm was technically “stored securely” funnily enough, so whoever tried to set up the Church obviously didn’t know that this was not illegal..! There’s significant doubt about ownership of this ammunition (covered later see below).
> The amount of ammunition found was mentioned so as to inflame debate and feed fear in the minds of the general public however as it turns out funnily enough, it’s legal for ONE person licensed to use or own firearms to hold up to 50,000 ammunition rounds (providing it’s securely stored)!? Seems like it backfired on whoever tried to setup Ps Leo and the Church !!!
> SAPOL media news conference misrepresented the outcome. It focused on the arrest of two gentlemen (parishioners), who were charged with minor firearms offences. Only many months later did SAPOL place a clarification on its website (not widely circulated though) that Ps Leo was not charged with any firearms offences.
Click > SAPOL Police website – facts
> It was mentioned that Ps Leo had probably left the country. Given the resources available to Australian police forces it’s very easy to check if someone has indeed left. Why wasn’t this done? (creating doubt feeds fear?) Particularly as Ps Leo was actually in scheduled meetings with Fijian Government personnel of the President’s Office of Fiji ! Hardly fleeing Australia ! (see above Myth #2)
In the media conference Det Sup Jim Jeffries mentioned none of the people of interest were a danger to the public. Given this statement, why have a media conference?
There was much talk about semi-automatic firearms & high powered ammunition, but no such firearms were found then, or since yet newspapers and magazines and radio and all forms of media portrayed aerial shots and commented on some ‘supposed’ compound. The only news media outlet that came to view the property many months later to do a story on the events, was the Channel 9’s – 60 Minutes crew who themselves commented to our caretakers that they were startled when they saw only 1 metre regular stock fences, with livestock grazing and a serene rehab farm with flowers and manicured lawns and gardens. They said their own impression from media reports and how they had portrayed the Church’s rehab farm was something quite sinister when it was indeed very much the opposite. (Unfortunately the 60 minutes interview was thereafter promptly and swiftly shutdown the moment that the upper levels of the hierarchy in the SAPOL Police was asked by 60 minutes reporters to comment on the Agape case! Go figure !)
Charges & Outcomes resulting from raids on May 19th 2010
1st parishioner’s –
A parishioner had left his rifle in the locked gun safe at AMI’s HQ in Oakden (having stored it there upon returning directly there, from an AMI farm trip). It had been overlooked and left in this gun safe.
1. failed to give registrar notice in writing of a change of his address within fourteen days of the change. sect 26.
2. failed to comply with a condition of that license. sect 21.
3. failed to store ammunition in a locked container separately from firearms. regulations 41 (1) and 61 of the firearms regulations 2008.
4. same charge as 2 & 3, but in another court, because occurred at a different address.
Convicted & discharged without penalty.
Note: The license charges in #4 were in a different court because he lives at an address that is different to where the firearm was securely stored. As can be seen here, these minor offences, more oversights than anything else, and in other circumstances, probably not even these charges would have been made, but a warning instead.
2nd parishioner –
Member of the Sporting and Historical Arms Association of SA Inc. – Liaison Officer for three years (re-elected to this position in April 2011.
Most of the arms owned by Mr A. D are Collectors’ items).
1. Acquired a firearm (Winchester rifle) without holding a permit (his cousin’s firearm that was stored in Mr A.D’s gun safe temporarily, while his cousin was renovating his home)
2. Possessed 4 expandable batons (Mr A.D having had full security licences for some 18 years – these are common items for security agents to possess).
Outcome: Dealt with without conviction. No further orders in respect to firearms, firearms licence or security agent’s licence.
3rd parishioner –
K.M. has been a sports shooter since he was a young boy, accompanying his father to organised and supervised shoots, in NZ. At the age of 18 his abilities were such that he was invited to train for the Olympics.
Since marrying and raising a family in Australia, he and his family have been members of a gun club and enjoy competing as sports shooters. They would practice and compete on an almost weekly basis and a few times each year attend shooting weekends at remote country locations. K.M. would often take the role of Range Officer for these events. In all the time he’s been involved in the sport, this is the first time he’s even been charged with any offence relating to firearms.
At the time of the early morning May 19th raid, K.M. was cleaning and checking a firearm in the house on the rural acreage where he lived. He and his daughter were planning to do a practice shoot at the nearby gun club that same morning.
Notes: K.M. has pleaded not guilty to these charges even though they’re relatively minor. He is being defended by a lawyer who was, prior to practicing law, a senior officer for SAPOL’s Firearms branch. This gentleman has yet to lose a case!
It appears SAPOL is desperate to prosecute someone associated in any way with AMI and are going to extreme lengths to get some sort of conviction. To even have someone on bail for these charges is highly unusual.
Legal allowances in South Australia
Ammunition: 50,000 rounds per person
Firearms: 30 per person
With 5 adults holding firearms licenses, the K.M family could legally hold up to a total of: Ammunition: 50,000 x 5 = 250,000 rounds (for 5 people)
Firearms: 30 x 5 = 150 (for 5 people)
With 5 adults holding firearms licenses, the K.M family actually hold up to a total of:
Actual Ammunition: 22,500 / 5 = 4,500 rounds each (for 5 people)
Actual Firearms: 12 / 5 = less than 3 each (for 5 people)
11 of the 12 legal, registered firearms were legally and securely stored, and the 12th was out of the safe for cleaning at the time of the raid on his house.
Note: Distortion and misleading comments about the firearms:
The bulk of the parishioner’s firearms (all securely & legally stored except the 1 being cleaned when SAPOL visited the parishioner) were at three locations:
Note: All AMI parishioners who were raided, were the ones Martin Penney gave their details to police (in collusion with his brother-in-law Sgt Robert Michaels who facilitated the raids). Others who had firearms & licenses, attended the AMI services, but chose note to support the international aid work, were NOT raided – including Martin Penney himself. Surprise surprise!
This was a targeted and orchestrated attack !
There have been no serious convictions as mis-reported in the papers – most of these parishioners had sports shooting licences and most were attendees at gun clubs. Accusations levelled at Ps Leo and the Church were indeed effectively exonerated by the Director of Public prosecutions as the evidence presented to him literally was all fabricated and didn’t stack up to any truth whatsoever!
Click > SA DPP Media Release 27.7.11 highlighted
Director of Public prosecutions news conference : Channel 10 news – July 2011
Click > Pallaras news conf. July 2011 Pallaras news conf. 2
