SHILLONG : The vehicle of Rev. Mcdonald Pyngrope, pastor of Mawkhar Presbyterian Church, was allegedly vandalised on Sunday evening in an incident suspected to be linked to his recent complaint over the alleged misappropriation of church funds.
Rev. Pyngrope lodged an FIR at LumdiILIengjri Police Station after discovering damage to his vehicle, which had been parked near the Wahumkhrah fencing at Lawmali Pyllun while he attended a cottage gathering at a church member’s residence in Wahingdoh.
According to the pastor, he only noticed the damage after reaching Jaiaw Pdeng later in the evening. The right rear door of the vehicle had reportedly been smashed. No valuables were stolen from the vehicle.
Rev. Pyngrope stated that his wallet, ATM cards and the car’s audio system were left untouched.
Must Read. : Inside the Mawkhar Presbyterian Church dispute: Audit questions, FIRs and a seven-year institutional crisis
Speaking to reporters, the pastor said he suspects the vandalism may be connected to an FIR he had filed earlier on May 12 regarding alleged financial irregularities within the church. He further pointed out that several other vehicles had been parked in the same area at the time, but only his vehicle was targeted.
Rev. Pyngrope has been actively raising concerns over the alleged misuse of church funds. His earlier complaint reportedly referred to findings from an internal audit for the 2023-24 financial year, along with observations made by a legal team and a special audit report.
The complaint allegedly highlighted instances of fraud, forgery and diversion of church funds for personal gain by certain individuals.
The pastor has urged police authorities to investigate the incident and conduct a preliminary inquiry into the vandalism.
