Evangelist in court over issuance of false cheques

A self-styled evangelist has been granted a GH₵500,000.00 bail with six sureties, all to be justified, by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Court for issuing false cheques.

Godfred Adams pleaded not guilty to the charge and would reappear on March 15, 2022, before the court, presided over by Mr Abdul Razak Musah.

Assistant State Attorney, Nadia Antwi, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant, Mr George Eid, is a native of Lebanon and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bulls Arrow Company Ltd, a business support services industry in Kumasi.
She said the complainant engages in the sale of large quantities of items such as rice, cooking oil, milk, sugar, and sardine.

The accused person is a trader and claims to be an evangelist and the managing director of “Adams I Believe” Ventures.

Prosecution said in the early parts of 2020, the accused (Adams) visited the complainant’s shop and expressed interest in engaging in business deals with him.
Adams started purchasing consumables in large quantities from the complainant and effected payments accordingly, prosecution said.

Between July and August 2020, Adams, who had gained the complainant’s trust, took delivery of some quantities of the items, worth GH₵512,000.00 and issued an Izwe cheque with face value of GH₵400,000.00 as part payment for the goods.

Prosecution said the cheque was dishonoured when presented at the bank for clearing and the complainant called Adams on phone to inform him, who issued another Izwe cheque with a number 000058 and face value of GH₵400,000.00.

It said the second cheque was also dishonoured and when the complainant tried to contact the accused on phone, all his mobile numbers were switched off.
Prosecution said the accused also made no attempts to pay for the said goods delivered and went into hiding.

On November 24, 2021, he was arrested and brought to the Ashanti Regional CID on a similar offence where he admitted to issuing false cheques to the complainant.
Adams further admitted that he was aware the cheque was dishonoured but said he could not communicate to pay for the goods because his business had run down.
He was charged with the offence and arraigned before court after investigations, prosecution said.