Shepherd Bushiri’s lawyer Terence Baloyi is seeking R15 million (about K750 million) compensation from South African Police Services (Saps) over his 8-hour detention.
Baloyi was detained by South African Police for eight hours on March 1 this year and was released without charge.
The lawyer is yet to drag the police to court as he has given them 30 days to pay the money.
Bushiri’s spokesperson, Ephraim Nyondo, said a formal complaint will be filed at the court if the police fail to pay the money.
According to Nyondo, Baloyi feels he has been persecuted for standing up to the police officers.
“Mr Baloyi has on several occasions shared with the public the agony, pain and persecution he has persistently suffered after he stood up to a series of extortion pushes on Prophet Bushiri from certain Hawks personnel led by officers Phumla Mrwebi, Colonel Corrie Maritz, Du Plessis and their colleagues,” he said.
Bushiri in a statement on March 2 linked the detention to his earlier claims that he was being persecuted in South Africa.
The prophet, who leads Enlightened Christian Gathering, was arrested together with wife Mary Bushiri in South Africa last year on charges of fraud and money laundering of R102 million.
The two were later granted bail but they used the bail as an opportunity to flee to Malawi. Their extradition case in Malawi was expected to start on Monday this week but failed as the Bushiris wants another magistrate to hear the case
