3 Persons on trial for allegedly stealing from church's credit union
Three members of the Christian Pentecostal Church, Accra are to face trial, beginning March 18, 2024, at an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing GH¢382, 221 from the coffers of the church’s Credit Union.
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The accused persons, Consultant/Manager, Joseph Acheampong, Recovery Officer, Kenneth Osei-Ansong, and Cashier, Esther Ofori, have been charged with conspiracy and stealing.
They pleaded not guilty before the court presided over by Mrs Kizita Koowa Quashie, and have since been on bail.
However, at the last hearing on March 11, 2024, the third accused, Esther, failed to appear before the court and her lawyer, John Baptist Agbedza, said she was sick, adding that they were willing to submit a medical report confirming such.
The prosecutor in charge of the case, Superintendent of Police (SOP) Augustus Yirenkyi, however, remarked that Esther had been hiding under the pretense of sickness.
The court subsequently granted Esther's lawyer one more chance to present her for trial at the next hearing.
Background
According to the prosecutor, Superintendent Yirenkyi, the complainant, Apostle Daniel Obeng, is the Head Pastor of the church, located at Kwashieman, Accra.
He added that in 2015, after the first accused, Acheampong, joined the church, he convinced the leadership to set up a credit union, claiming he was a banker who would see to its success.
He was allowed to set up and run the credit union and he employed the second and third accused persons, Osei-Ansong and Esther.
The prosecutor said the two were in charge of visiting members at their homes and offices to collect contributions.
He said over the years, no issues arose until 2018 when two members of the credit union, Kwabena Yeboah and Frank Mensah Bonsu, requested access to their contributions but were unsuccessful.
Yeboah and Bonsu then reported the issue to the complainant who also reported to the police.
Superintendent Yirenkyi added that police investigations revealed the accused persons had collected GH¢382,221 from the union members and failed to repay.
The prosecutor said Acheampong was arrested and during a search of his residence, documents from the credit union and GH¢3,1 00 cash were retrieved.
“In his questioning at the police station, Acheampong denied any wrongdoing saying the union had run into what he referred to as “liquidity difficulties," the prosecutor added.
