PROPHET NKANSAH GRANTED GHC70,000 BAIL

By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba

An Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mrs. Ivy Heward-Mills yesterday granted bail in the sum of GHC70, 000.00 with three sureties, one to be justified, to Prophet Daniel Yaw Nkansah, Leader of the New Vision Pentecostal Church, who was last week remanded in custody for defrauding four farmers to the tune of GHC69, 000.00 in the pretext of procuring them farming Tractors.

Prophet Nkansah, who looked sober and spiritually deflated while in the docket, was further ordered to report to the police once a week, preferably Monday’s at 9: 00 am.

He, together with one Haruna Natogma,  who is unemployed, was arraigned before the court  for allegedly defrauding four farmers from the Karaga District in the Northern Region under the pretext of assisting them to purchase tractors on hire purchase from John Deere Company Limited at Dobro, a town near Nsawam.

They pleaded not guilty to six counts of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences contrary to Section 131 of Act 29 of the criminal offence Act 1960..

However, Mr. Natogmah who received an amount of GHC13, 000.00 as a commission on the whole fraud saga was at their first appearance granted in the sum of GHȼ10,000 bail with two sureties.

They would re-appear on Wednesday, April 1, this year.

Prophet Nkansah was grabbed by the police after been found hiding in the ceiling of his bedroom to escape arrest and brought to court.

The trial judge, Mrs. Ivy Heward- Mills, who do not take kindly to fraudulent activities in the country, had Prophet Nkansah remanded on the first day to serve as a deterrent to others.

Prophet Nkansah who was also the 2008 Presidential Candidate for the New Vision Party is being tried for similar offences in the same court and other courts.

 Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Peter Nsoh, prosecuting the case,  told the court that, the complainants Mohammed Fuseini, Alhaji Yakubu Fuseini, Fuseini Ziblim Alhassan Wumbe and Kassim Alhassan were farmers from Karaga District in the Northern Region.

He said sometime in March 2011, Natogmah approached the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Karaga District, Hon. Suleman Hussen Issah, that he could assist the farmers within the area to buy tractors on hire purchase from John Deere Company Limited at Dobro, near Nsawam at a cost of GHȼ24,000 each.

According to the prosecutor, the DCE in turn informed the complainants who expressed interest and made a part payment of the money, totaling GHȼ69,000 to the DCE which was paid into Natogmah’s bank account at Fidelity bank in Accra who later handed over the money to Prophet Nkansah.

He said Prophet Nkansah then gave Natogmah a commission of GHȼ13,000 and invited the complainants to Accra and took them to John Deere Company Limited and showed them some tractors.

ASP Nsoh said the complainants were asked to take photographs by the tractors and after which they were promised that the tractors would be delivered to them within two weeks time.

The prosecutor further explained that, the accused persons could not honour their promises and also failed or refused to refund the monies and later went into hiding.

ASP Nsoh said on October 5, 2011, a report was made to the Police by the complainants and Natogmah was arrested and upon investigations he admitted collecting GHȼ69, 000 from the complainants which he handed over to Prophet Nkansah, and was whereupon given GHȼ10,000 for his personal use.

 He said Natogmah had since refunded GHȼ7,000.00 of the money to the Police.

The prosecutor said on March 6, 2012, Prophet Nkansah was arrested in his hide-out and in his caution statement he also admitted receiving such money from Natogmah.