PASTOR BEFORE COURT FOR FRAUD

By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba

A pastor of Upper Spring Chapel at Nungua in Accra, Pastor Francis Dotse, was yesterday arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court and remanded in custody for defrauding two of his colleagues Pastors of  MDC Church Ministry to the tune of $5,300  under the pretext of securing them traveling documents to Israel for their spiritual cleansing.

The accused, Rev. Dotse who looked very sober and spiritually deflated through out the court proceedings was charged with two counts of defrauding by false pretence contrary to Section 131 of the criminal offence Act1960 of Act 29.

He however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court presided over Mrs. Ivy Heward-Mills remanded him in custody after his lawyer has failed to convince the court to grant the accused bail.

Presenting the facts of the case before the court, Chief Inspector B.O Yeboah said, the complainants, Rev. Peter Wallace Oteng Buateng and Rev, John Kwame Benyi are pastors with the MDC Church Ministry, while the accused is also a pastor with the Upper Spring Chapel at Nungua in Accra.

The prosecutor said, on April 27, last year the accused contacted the complainant and told them that his church has received an invitation  for Pastors  to travel to Israel for a prayer program but pastors in his church was  not up to the required number and needed extra pastors from other churches .

According to Chief Inspector Yeboah, the accused with his criminal mind to defraud the complainants told them that, the trip will cost $2,800 each inclusive of air ticket, accommodation and transport while in Israel.

He explained to the court that, based on the statement to the complainants by accused, they parted cash sum of $5,300 to the accused for Visa and other traveling documents.

He said , when the accused succeeded in obtaining the money from the complainant he promised to secured the visa as well as the traveling documents within two weeks by which everything would be ready for their traveling.

The prosecutor noted that, the accused also convinced the complainants and collected their Ghanaian passport and when the two weeks period elapsed, the complainants contacted the accused to see the way forward but he started giving them excuses.

He said following the accused attitude, the complainants on January 19, this year lodged a complaints with the police and the accused was arrested.

Chief Inspector Yeboah further noted that, during interrogation the accused admitted the offence in his caution statement and pleaded for time to settle the complainants.

It said, the accused was granted bail to organized himself to settle the complainants but the accused continued deceiving the police  with the excuse that, his church was raising funds to pay off the debt  but all remained a fiasco .

That, on April 29, this year the police re-arrested and charged for the offence and arraigned before court.

The case has been adjourned to May 21, this year for continuation.