Crime & Punishment of Friday, 3 July 2015

Source: GNA

Self-styled pastor in court for fraud

Library Photo:Court malletLibrary Photo:Court mallet

A self-styled pastor at Agona Asafo, Samuel Owusu, has been arraigned before the Agona Swedru Magistrate Court, for fraudulently withdrawing 13,000 Ghana Cedis from the account of a driver.

Pastor Owusu pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of 15,000 Ghana Cedis to re-appear in court on July 7.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Maxwell Yaw Boadu, told the court presided over by Mr Isaac Appiatu that, Mr Kojo Ayiah, the complainant, lived at Agona Asafo, while the accused person stayed at Agona Domebra.

Inspector Boadu said, sometime last year, Mr Eyiah and his two brothers sold their land at the cost of 16,000 Ghana Cedis and deposited the amount at the Agona Swedru branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank.

Inspector Boadu said, some weeks after the deposit, the accused person who was aware of the savings secretly went to the bank with a letter of consent written by him, his voter ID card, together with the complainant‘s driving license.

The prosecution said the accused person managed to convince the teller at the bank, and withdrew an amount of 13,000 Ghana Cedis from the account of Mr Ayiah.

The prosecution said on October 13 of last year, Mr Eyiah went to the bank to withdraw money, only to be told that he had no money in his account.

He said, Mr Eyiah reported the matter to the Police, and investigations led to the retrieval of the accused person’s Voters ID card used to withdraw the money.

Inspector Boadu stated that Pastor Owusu was arrested and in his caution statement, denied any knowledge of the offence.