Residents of Chorkor, a suburb of Accra, and is surrounding areas are in a dilemma over the actual reason why a pastor and an elder of St Peters Sanctuary, a revered church in that community, were engaged in a fierce fight at a hotel last Sunday, April 22, 2001 at about 8:30 pm.

They are also labouring over the pastor's allegation that the elder, a married man, snatched his (pastor's) girlfriend, an usher of their church.

Speaking to P & P, an attendant of the hotel (name withheld) located at Chorkor, said for about a month now, the elder had been visiting the hotel in the company of the beautiful young woman. He disclosed that nothing was suspected until that night when the elder was attacked by the pastor when he was with the girl at the hotel. He said, the pastor got down hurriedly from a taxi and ran into the hotel, and walked straight to them.

"They started an argument which later developed into a fight. We had a very hard time separating them," he said.

Sources said the fight attracted a crowd to the scene including neighbours and the elder was compelled to bolt in his car when he noticed that the crowd had intensified to feast their hungry eyes on hem.

It was a sour spectacle as they hooted at him while he drove off. They chuckled, laughed and warned him to be careful as he was a professed man of God.

To escape the embarrassment, the woman in the centre of the whole drama bolted before she could be noticed.

P & P investigations disclosed that both Pastor Paul Agyin, 36, and elder Yartey 53, are members of the same church at Gbegbeisei, Shiabu, near Chorkor, Accra.

About 3 months ago Pastor Agyin introduced into their church Ms Bles Amegee, 22, a seamstress after he had met and befriended her. About two weeks ago, he had gone to visit her, but was told she had been taken out by an elderly man and this aroused his suspicion. Through investigations, he was hinted that his sweetheart had been visiting the said hotel with an elderly man.

Following this, he wasted no time to chase them up when he met her absence on the evening of April 22 and found them together.

When traced, Pastor Agyin said he had forgiven the women but had quit from the church and is contemplating starting his own