Sunyani, June 26, GNA - A circuit court at Fiapre, near Sunyani on Wednesday ordered four pastors and three other officials of Mid West Ghana Conference of Seventh Day Adventist Church in Sunyani who are facing various charges of conspiracy and stealing to open their defence. This was after the court, presided by Mr. John Owusu, overruled a submission of no case filed by five of the accused persons. The court asked them to appear before the court on July 17, to open their defence on the charges of conspiracy to steal and stealing millions cedis and aluminium sheets belonging to the church. The accused are Pastor James Kwaku Badu, former President of the conference, Pastor Fredrick Kofi Agyei-Baah, Secretary, Pastor Appiah Kubi Kwarteng and Pastor Richard Addai Munumkum, former treasurer. The others are Alfred Owusu Ansah, Treasurer, Daniel Kwabena and Boa-Amponsem Kwaku Akumiah, both church elders. The accused pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of conspiracy to steal, stealing and operating on non-banking at their first appearance before the court and are on 50,000 Ghana cedis bail each with two sureties The prosecution said on June 27, 2002, the complainants in the case wrote a letter headed "financial malfeasance and stealing at the Mid-West Ghana conference" to the Brong-Ahafo Regional crime office,

Investigations into the allegations revealed that in 1998 Pastors Munumkum, Badu and Kwarteng allegedly conspired and stole 18 packets of Aluzinc roofing sheets being part of donated items from the United States of America for the roofing of church buildings. They shared the sheets, which were kept in the house of Henry Adusi Poku, a witness in the case in Techiman.

The prosecution said the conference also had an account of 19,131 US dollars at the Barclays Bank in Sunyani but it was allegedly withdrawn by Badu, Owusu Ansah and Agyei-Baa and changed into cedis at the black market.

After their arrest the prosecution said they said they had deposited the money at the Bank of Ghana as treasury bills and that they would produce the certificate when put before the court but when the bank was contacted it refused to provide any information to the police. The accused also allegedly stole 160,000 Ghana cedis belonging to the church after a former administration handed over the money to them. Pastor Owusu Ansah was accused of being unable to account for six packets of the sheets meant for the Aworowa branch of the church, whilst Badu was said to have styled himself as a building contractor and used the sheets to build a house. Daniel Kwabena and Boa-Amponsem were also charged with stealing six packets of the sheets and for dishonestly receiving. It was alleged that Boa-Amponsem received four packets of the roofing sheets from Pastor Adjei-Baah and other elders of the Sunyani New Town SDA church, contrary to the conference's working policy.