Is it permissible to pray in a mosque whose imam is frequently absent, and the prayer is led by a caretaker accused of sorcery, which has caused some worshippers to pray in their homes?

If the sorcerer commits acts of disbelief in his sorcery, such as seeking closeness to devils by writing Qur’anic verses with impurities, then prayer behind him is invalid, because his own prayer is not valid, and it is absolutely impermissible to pray behind a disbeliever. If the Imam is absent from attending the mosque, he must be advised; otherwise, his matter should be reported to the responsible authorities so that they may appoint someone else. Until then, one must strive to pray in another mosque if possible, or perform congregational prayer outside the mosque, because congregational prayer is obligatory for free, adult men, if they are able.