Pastor of African Church before court for stealing

Accra, May 17, GNA - The Pastor of African Church of Ghana, who was accused of influencing an Accountant to siphon 392,000 dollars from the coffers of a company he was working with was on Monday put before a Circuit Court in Accra for abetment.

Samuel Kotey Neequaye, who is charged with the Pastor, pleaded guilty to stealing while Pastor Richmond Kweku Danso pleaded not guilty to abetment.

The Court set aside the plea of Neequaye to enable it to go into the merit of case and granted each of them 800 hundred million cedis bail with two sureties to reappear on May 28.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector S.B. Sarfo told the Court presided over by Mr Williwise Kyeremeh that the complainant in the matter was M.J. Travel and Tour Limited, where Neequaye was a Financial Administrator.

Inspector Sarfo said sometime in 2000 the Company detected during audit check that 392,000 dollars had been stolen from the Company. Prosecution said while the auditing was in progress, Neequaye vacated his office and went into hiding and when attempts to trace him failed the Police caused an announcement to be made in the media and in February Neequaye was arrested from his hideout in Awoshie.

He mentioned one Pastor Richmond Kweku Danso as the person to whom he gave the money.

The Prosecution said, according to Neequaye the Pastor coaxed him to bring the money after he had consulted him for protection in an attempt to marry a new wife after the death of the previous one.

The Counsel for the Pastor contended that the money collected by his client was a mere gift from Neequaye in appreciation of the rituals performed for him.

He said after all it was Neequaye, who went to the Pastor for special protection and that the Pastor was just performing his duty.