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March 7, 2000

Televangelist Benny Hinn’s wife, Suzanne Hinn was busted on December 4, 1998 for shoplifting in a department store in South Africa. Benny Hinn’s ministry denied a story published in the Cape Times.

Suzanne Hinn made quite a splash on a recent GodStuff segment of Comedy Central’s, The Daily Show, when they aired a clip of her outlandish behavior at the Hinn’s home church, Orlando Christian Center. The GodStuff segment opens with Suzanne shouting, “If your engines aren’t revved up, then you need a holy ghost enema right up your rear end!” She is later shown making gestures like a charging bull, charging across the platform back and forth and then sliding on her belly across the floor. Comedy Central was sent a threatening letter by Benny Hinn’s attorneys who backed down after being brushed off by the Daily Show’s attorneys. That segment can be seen at Comedy Central’s website on RealVideo linked at the end of this article.

Apparently, the South African shoplifting charges were dropped Suzanne Hinn, due to the backlog of cases in the Cape Town Magistrate Court.

Following are excerpts from the South African newspaper, the Cape Times:

“SHOPLIFTING charges against a woman claiming to be married to popular US televangelist Benny Hinn were dropped in the Cape Town Magistrate Court on Tuesday before she was able to accuse Edgars department store of filming naked people in their change-rooms.”

“Prosecutor Brandon Lawrence told the Cape Times that although he believed he had a strong case against Penny Hinn, he had dropped the serious charges because the court roll was full. . . The Benny Hinn Ministries in Florida, US, yesterday at first declined to comment on the matter, preferring instead to answer questions in writing. However, when pressed further a woman at the ministry… said pastor Hinn was married to Suzanne. This is the name Hinn says she uses in the US.”

“He [the prosecutor] had earlier considered sending her for psychiatric evaluation. Hinn, who describes herself as a religious person, was arrested at Edgars Store in Adderley Street on December 4 and released on R1,000 bail for allegedly stealing two sets of ladies pyjamas.” (sic)

“These were allegedly found in her bag as she was about to leave the store”.

“She claims she was trying to expose Edgars security officials [for using hidden cameras on female customers] when they were trying on underwear in fitting rooms.”

“Edgars managing director, Robert Madon, denied the allegations and said it is company policy that no surveillance cameras are installed in fitting rooms.”

“…On Monday – the day Hinn was to appear in court on shoplifting charges – she threatened to expose the department store for what she claimed was an invasion of her privacy. ‘How else would they have known I had taken the pyjamas?’ (sic) she asked.”

(Source: The Cape Times, Cape Town South Africa)