Crime & Punishment of Sunday, 17 July 2005

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Prophetess Dupes Pastor

If Pastor Osei Bonsu had heard of visa contractors, he nevery thought of his own prophetess being one until she allegedly duped him and one other church member of a whopping ?26.8million to procure visas for them. Mama Grace Hesse, prophetess of the Life Transformers Chapel in Accra, has been granted bail in the sum of ?34 million with a surety by an Accra circuit court. She is also to report to the police every Monday until otherwise directed.

She pleaded not guilty to two counts of defrauding by false pretencies and will reappear on August 8, 2005. Narrating the facts of the case to the court, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Abavelim said Pastor Osei Bonsu, the complainant, and the accused both worshipped in the same church. He said in February this year, the accused informed the pastor that she could use her position in the church as Prophetess to secure the USA and UK visas for interested members of the chuch. ASP Abavelim said the accused charged for her services depending on the country that a member wanted to travel to. He said the accused collected ?20.3 million from Pastor Bonsu to procure one UK visa for him and USA visas for two other members.

According to the prosecutor, the accused further collected ?6.5million for Susan Attoh, also a member of the church, to procure a USA visa for her. He said the accused, after collecting the moneys from her victims faield to procure the visas and went into hiding. She was arrested after a report was made to the police.