The Pastor and his wife scammed people into buying $500 tickets that shall get them into the gates of heaven, with no judgment – Photo compiled by Egypt Today/Mohamed Zain

CAIRO – 8 July 2018: Pastor Tito Watts, a Zimbabwe based clergyman, and his wife, Amanda, were arrested for selling “tickets to heaven.”

According to the police, the Pastor and his wife scammed people into buying $500 tickets that shall get them into the gates of heaven, with no judgment.

Zimbabwean Pastor arrested for selling tickets to heaven for N180,000 Each



A Zimbabwe based clergyman, Pastor Tito Wats has been arrested by the police authority for financial crime.



According to the police, Pastor Tito Wats told thousands of people that it was Jesus ... pic.twitter.com/URUq4eIg6T — vasatends (@vasatrend1) June 28, 2018

"I do not care what people or the police are saying about me, I am being persecuted because of doing the work of God," the Pastor said according to Zimbabwean news outlets.

"Jesus Christ appeared to me and gave me the tickets made of pure gold so that I can sell to people who want salvation," he added.

News reports claimed thousands of people are protesting the pastor’s arrest; they called on the police to release him immediately.

Watts told those who sought salvation that the tickets were made from solid gold and each ticket reserved the buyer a place in heaven.



EVIDENCE PHOTO

Police reports said that the tickets are actually made of gold-coated wood with “Ticket to Heaven… Admit One” written over it.

Just wanted to go to space and smoke rock cocaine!

According to Inside Story, this was Watt’s police statement:

“I don’t care what the police say. The tickets are solid gold… it ain’t cut up two by fours I spray painted gold. And it was Jesus who give them to me behind the KFC and said to sell them so I could get me some money to go to outer space. I met an alien named Stevie who said if I got the cash together he’d take me and my wife on his flying saucer to his planet that’s made entirely of crack cocaine. You can smoke all the crack cocaine there you want… totally free. So, try to send an innocent man to jail and see what happens. You should arrest Jesus because he’s the one that gave me the golden tickets and said to sell them. I’m willing to wear a wire and set Jesus up…[sic]”

The wife, Amanda Watts, said the following in her police statement:

”We just wanted to leave earth and go to space and smoke rock cocaine. I didn’t do nothing. Tito sold the golden tickets to heaven. I just watched.[sic]”

Police said they confiscated over $10,000 in cash, five crack pipes and a baby alligator, Inside Story reported.

However, this is not the first time that Tito and Amanda ever hit the news, as in 2015, Del Woodcock, a customer who bought a ticket from the couple for $99.95, knew he was scammed after discovering that he only bought a wooden ticket.

“They said it was solid gold,” Woodcock said. “I don’t know what gold looks like. How was I to know it was spray painted wood? I want my $99.95 back and I hope Tito and Amanda Watts get the death penalty for what they done. They deserve it.”

Another pastor in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, Pastor Paul Sanyangore performed his services with “Papa God” on the phone; he just popped out his phone and called “Heaven”.

Sanyangore also claimed via his Facebook page that he can walk on water, and that he walked on the water of his pool, where he organizes baptism sessions for members of his congregation.