Prophet Nkansah In Court For Fraud

Prophet Daniel Yaw Nkansah, Leader of New Vision Pentecostal Church has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court in Accra.

Prophet Nkansah together with one Haruna Natogma who is unemployed appeared before the court on Wednesday for allegedly defrauding four farmers from the Karaga District in the sum of GHȼ69,000, 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.

However, Prophet Nkansah was remanded into police custody while Natogman was granted GHȼ10,000 bail with two sureties.

They would re-appear on Wednesday, March 21.
Prophet Nkansah was found hiding in the ceiling of his bedroom to escape arrest on Wednesday.

Mrs Ivy Heward- Mills, the trial judge who did not take kindly to some of the alleged fraudulent activities of Prophet Nkansah said he should be remanded in custody 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 other courts.

Police Chief Inspector Peter Nsoh, prosecuting said 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, Natogman approached the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Karaga District 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.

Chief Inspector Nsoh said the DCE in turn informed the complainants who expressed interest and made a part payment of the money, totalling GHȼ69,000 to the DCE which was paid into Natogman’s bank account at Fidelity bank in Accra who later handed over the money to Prophet Nkansah.

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

Chief Inspector Nsoh said the complainants were asked to take photographs by the tractors and promised that the tractors would be delivered to them within two weeks.

He said the accused persons could not honour their promises and went into hiding.

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

He said Natogman had refunded GHȼ7,000 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 admitted receiving such money from Natogman.

- GNA