Prosecutor stalls Vaglas Kanco’s appeal

Anthony Rexford Wiredu, the principal state attorney in the appeal of Bishop Samuel Vaglas Kanco, General Overseer of Vineyard Chapel, against an 18-month-old sentence slapped on him for defrauding a British national of £120,000, Friday failed to appear before an Accra High Court.

The state attorney in the case, at the last hearing date, was out of jurisdiction, leaving the judge with no choice than to adjourn the matter.

No reasons were assigned for his inability to appear in court yesterday.

Kissi Agyabeng, counsel for Bishop Kanco, urged the trial judge, Justice Charles Quist, to make a decision concerning the state attorney’s failure to be present in court as this was the second time he had failed to appear in court.

The judge told a chief state attorney in the case, Esiama Assampong, to inform Mr. Wiredu to try and be in court on the next hearing date.

The appeal has been adjourned to July 26, 2011.

Mr. Wiredu was reportedly out of jurisdiction last month but has since returned and was last Monday seen at the same court, where he was the prosecuting attorney in the trial of Adamu Daramani Sakande, Member of Parliament for Bawku.

John Ofori Tulasi, a senior state attorney, informed the court at the last hearing that Mr. Wiredu was out of jurisdiction and prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable him continue with the matter later.

Bishop Kanco has filed an application at the High Court for bail pending an appeal against the 18-month prison sentence handed down to him by a Circuit Court.

At the first hearing, Mr. Rexford Wiredu observed that under Section 326 of the Criminal and other Offences Act, the motion filed by Bishop Kanco did not meet the requirement of a petition coming from a Circuit Court.

The Principal State Attorney said Bishop Kanco had failed to attach the necessary documents, including a copy of the judgment of the trial court needed for the motion to be heard.

Although Mr. Agyebeng disagreed with the Principal Sate Attorney, Justice Charles Quist ordered the registrar of the Circuit Court to transfer the judgment to the High Court for the motion to be moved.

The Circuit Court presided over by D.E.K. Dzaketsey, on May 5, 2011 sentenced Bishop Kanco to 18 months’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of defrauding Clova Sutherland, a British woman, of £120,000.

However, the convict says the trial court erred in jailing him and therefore wants to be released before he begins the process to fight his conviction.

Bishop Kanco collected a cheque of £120,000 from Ms. Sutherland under the pretext of praying over it, but went ahead to cash the money without her consent.

The cheque was meant for Ms. Sutherland’s boyfriend who was described by Bishop as “evil.”

During the trial, he created the impression that the amount was a gift given to him by Ms. Sutherland.

The complainant, who was unemployed at that time, told the court that the pastor told her the cheque which bore her boyfriend’s name had to be prayed on because if she gave it to him, he would use it as a point of contact to kill her.

The General Overseer of Vineyard Chapel, apart from the jail term, was ordered to pay the money.