PROPHET DANIEL Yaw Nkansah of the New Vision Pentecostal Church who has been on the police wanted list for fraud was on Tuesday March 6, arrested at his residence amidst drama.

The prophet, a 2008presidential aspirant for the New Vision Party he founded, allegedly climbed into the ceiling of his bedroom to resist arrest.

Unfortunately for him, when the arresting officers broke into his bedroom, they saw an opening in the ceiling and suspected he might be hiding there.

Their suspicions where confirmed when they found him crouched in the ceiling.

Prophet Nkansah who is noted for evading arresting was immediately pulled out and arrested for defrauding ten people of various sums of money.

The drama of his arrest was narrated at an Accra Circuit court presided over by Ivy Heward-Mills where he was arraigned Tuesday together with an accomplice, Haruna Natogmah, for allegedly defrauding six of his victims of various sums of money under the pretext of providing them with tractors.

The investigator was asked by the judge to narrate how the accused was arrested from his hideout as stated in the facts.

The lady investigator then recounted to the court how they found the General Overseer of the New Vision Church hiding in the ceiling of his bedroom.

People in the courtroom including the judge were amazed by the revelation and could not help laughing.

The investigator said when the police got to his house to arrest him they spotted him entering his room.

When they entered they found that his door was locked and after searching everywhere in the house for him they broke the bedroom door. Upon entering, they did not find him but noticed a big hole in the ceiling and therefore decided to check only to find him there.

Prophet Nkansah has however denied ever going into hiding.

The judge asked the investigator to allow his church members to come into the court room if there were any.

The investigator returned with only his wife who explained that she had come with only one pastor from the church and that no member was present.

The trial judge who doubted the prophet’s credibility as a pastor asked ‘Shepherd where are thy sheep?”

The judge was of the opinion that if he was really a religious man as he claimed, his church members would have stormed the court to show solidarity with their leader as is normally the case.

Sounding biblical the judge said “by their deeds they shall be known. They are doing this “azaa” pastor thing all over. You have disgraced yourself. Your wife knows that you are azaa pastor. Which pastor will have a problem in court and be walking alone in batakari?”

As soon as she made the remark, his lawyer answered that it is African wear creating laughter in the courtroom.

The judge said “they are tired of you. Maybe if they do not see you in church on Sunday, they will know that you have been arrested.”

He was subsequently remanded into police custody. Earlier the judge had ordered that he should be sent to the Nsawam Medium Prisons to teach him a lesson but persistent pleading from his lawyer made her change her mind.

Prophet Nkansah and his alleged accomplice Haruna Natogmah pleaded not guilty to seven counts of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences.

Natogmah was granted a GH¢10,000 bail with two sureties after his lawyer said he was a victim of circumstance who was used by Prophet Nkansah and had refunded some of his share of the money received.

The two will re-appear on Wednesday March 21, 2012.

The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Peter Nsoh, mentioned the complainants as Mohammed Fuseini, Alhaji Yakubu Fuseini, Fuseini Ziblim, Alhassan Wunbie, Kassim Alhassan all farmers at Karaga in the Northern Region.

He narrated that in March 2011, Natogmah approached the District Chief Executive of Karaga saying he could assist farmers within the area to buy tractors on hire purchase from John Deere Company Limited at Dobolo near Nsawam at a cost of GH¢24,000 each.

The DCE informed the complainants who expressed interest and made part payments totaling GH¢69,000 to him.

The DCE in turn paid the amount into Natogmah’s account who also handed same over to the Prophet.

Natogmah according to the prosecutor, received GH¢13,000 out of the total amount collected as his commission.

The accused persons then invited the complainants to Accra and took them to John Deere Company limited where they were shown the tractors.

They were allegedly asked by the accused to take photographs of the tractor of their choice which was to be delivered to them in two weeks. However the accused persons failed to honour their promise and went into hiding.

On October 5, 2011 a report was made to the police and Natogmah was arrested. He is reported to have admitted collecting the money from them but handed it over to Prophet Nkansah.

He has so far refunded GH¢7,000 out of his share.

According to the prosecutor, when Prophet Nkansah was arrested he allegedly admitted receiving the money from Natogmah.