Pastor remanded for robbing disabled

Accra, June 15, GNA - The Osu Community Tribunal on Thursday remanded in prison custody, Okyere Darko, a pastor, who allegedly collected 3.1 million cedis from three disabled persons, under the pretext of securing for them, travelling documents.

Darko pleaded guilty to defrauding by false pretence. He would reappear on June 22. The accused, also a member of Aid Child Evangelism Association, a non-governmental organisation, wept in the dock, when Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills, who chaired the tribunal asked him to explain his action, for not having sympathy for the disabled persons.

He refunded 500,000 cedis out of the 3.1 million cedis he collected to enable the complainants, two, with clutches and one in a wheel chair, return to Kumasi, where they had come from.

Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Margaret Awuni said the complainants are members of the Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled. He said that on May 23 the complainants met Darko at a function, in Accra where he introduced himself as an evangelist.

She said during their conversation, Darko told them that he was preparing to attend a conference in Beijing on June 9, and he needed other participants to also attend.

The complainants showed interest and Darko requested them to pay 3.5 million cedis each to enable him to secure the necessary documents for the trip.

The complainants paid him 1.5 million cedis on May 27, and another 1.8 million cedis on June 2 and additional 352,000 cedis later. Chief Inspector Awuni said Darko, who failed to process the documents continued to demand for additional money that made the complainants to suspect a foul play and, therefore, reported to the Police.