New twist in Prophet Nkansah’s trial

The trial of Prophet Daniel Yaw Nkansah, a failed presidential hopeful and founder of the New Vision Pentecostal Church, took a new twist yesterday when his lawyer accused the complainant of attacking his client.

Prophet Nkansah is on trial for robbery charges.

Counsel C.A. Chambers claimed that Stephen Ped Andam, the complainant, attacked Prophet Nkansah and his wife.

According to him, there was evidence to prove that the complainant and his ‘boys’ had attacked the accused person with a pinch bar, hammer and saw.

However, Andam, a tenant in Prophet Nkansah’s store at Atico Junction in Accra, during cross-examination, in the court presided over by Francis Obiri, denied the assertions, indicating that the said tools he (Chambers) was referring to were meant for some renovation and not for any attacks. He said the tools were brought in by a carpenter

The ‘controversial’ man of God cum politician is facing six counts of conspiracy to rob and robbery with his son, Daniel Boahene Nkansah Jnr, and eight others – two of who are currently at large.

They are said to have robbed Andam on February 1 of his Samsung S4, iPhone, Dell laptop with charger, cheque books, international driver’s licence, certificates, iPad 32GB and cash of GH¢55,000.

Prophet Nkansah, in connivance with his son and the 10 others, are also alleged to have made away with a Blackberry Q10 mobile phone and GH¢500 belonging to one Geshon Essel, while another person, Billy Apeku Ken, also claimed his Samsung mobile phone, Dell laptop and GH¢750 were missing.

The fourth complainant, Isaac Tetteh Korgbey, was also accusing the man of God and the 11 others of the disappearance of his Dell laptop and Sony video camera. One Emmanuel Nana Kwaku Badu has also complained of his missing wallet containing GH¢1,000 and I.D. cards.

Prophet Nkansah, his son and the others have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the facts of the case, all the complainants – Geshon Essel, Billy Apeku Ken, Isaac Tetteh Korgbey and Emmanuel Nana Kwaku Budu – are workers of XY Canis Majoris Company Limited with the first complainant, Stephen Ped Andam, being the Chief Executive Officer of the company located at Atico, a suburb of Accra.

According to Inspector Emmanuel Afful, Nkansah Jnr. is a student and that Andam, during December last year, rented four stores from Prophet Nkansah for a period of 10 years and paid GH¢111,680 as rent advance.

The prosecutor told the court that on February 1, 2014, Andam and his workers approached Nkansah Jnr as agreed with Prophet Nkansah, to vacate the store to enable them to move in, but this resulted in an exchange of words among them. Andam and his workers finally went back into the three stores to start the day’s work.

Nkansah Jnr. called to inform his father [Prophet Nkansah] who rushed to the scene and left after discussions with his son.

The prosecutor said that Prophet Nkansah returned a few minutes later with a group of young men numbering about 10, on board his pickup vehicle, armed with cutlasses and other lethal weapons, and together they attacked the complainants in their shop, robbing them of items and money in the process.

The case was reported to the police and Nkansah Jnr was subsequently arrested on February 4.

During investigations, the Sony video camera was retrieved from him.

Inspector Afful further told the court that on April 4, Joseph Tetteh, James Quansah Afful, Otukunor Sackey and Emmanuel Salami Azumah, being the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th accused persons, were arrested.

He said on 13and 29 April, the 7th and 10 accused persons – Samuel Kweku, alias Sammy Tuga and Richard Annor Baidoo, aka Anold, were also arrested respectively.

Sitting continues on Monday, October 14.