Runaway Pastor Nabbed

A former Minister of the Baptist Church has been arrested by the Police for defrauding some people to the tune of ¢196 million under the pretext of securing visas for them.

Pastor Kwame Oppong Nketia, 45, was arrested by the Suame Police in Kumasi following a bench warrant issued by a court in Accra after he had jumped bail while on trial for a similar offence.

Pastor Nketia was said to have been dismissed from the Baptist Church at Kwadaso, Kumasi, after he was found to have defrauded some church members. Deputy Director of CID, Patrick Ampewuah, told the Times in Accra yesterday that Nketia presented himself to Reverend Stephen Tabiri of Jesus Saves Ministry at Nsawam, as a staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs capable of assisting him to travel abroad.

He said Pastor Nketia claimed that he had been to Korea and South Africa for some programmes, and that there was a Baptist seminar slated for the US in February which he could arrange for him to attend.

After several meetings with Rev. Tabiri Nketiah, he showed him visas he claimed to have acquired for some people and asked Rev. Tabiri to pay 40 million cedis to get him one.

Mr. Ampewuah said Nketiah promised Rev. Tabiri that he would arrange for letters from the Christian Council and the Baptist convention to facilitate the acquisition of the visa at the American Embassy, where he claimed, he was "well-connected."

He said Rev. Tabiri in turn informed three other people, whose names he gave as Mr. Obeng at Obuasi, Brother Joe and Nana Nsiah both from Kumasi who agreed to be part of the trip.

Mr. Ampewuah said Nketiah succeeded in duping the people to the tune of 196 million cedis.

Later, one Ben Nortey, said to be Nketiah’s syndicate was arrested and he confirmed that Nketiah had absconded with the money. He was arrested at Berekum on April 30 and brought to the CID Headquarters in Accra but absconded again after he was granted bail by a court to appear again on June 22.