Man in trouble for duping church

A businessman has run into trouble with the law for allegedly swindling the Pentecost Church at Nyinahin in the Atwima-Mponua District of cash of GH?20,000 under the pretext of selling to it a Toyota Rav-4 vehicle.

Henry Wood Asante was on Thursday put before a Kumasi Circuit Court to answer the charge of defrauding.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted GH?40,000 bail with three sureties to reappear on Friday, November 13.

His two other accomplices, whose names were given as Kwabena Prince and Jaguar, are on the run and the police have mounted a search to arrest them.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Doris Amewu, told the court, presided over by Mrs. Hellen Vivian Amoah, that the pastor and elders of the church expressed interest in buying a vehicle for the congregation and were introduced to Asante.

They bargained and agreed on the price of GH?20,000 for a brand new Toyota RAV-4.

The prosecution said on December 13, 2010, the church represented by the pastor and elders together with Asante and Prince drove the vehicle to the Kumasi office of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), where the documents covering it was confirmed to be genuine.

Thereafter they decided to make full payment and drive in their new car but Asante insisted it was dangerous to carry such a huge sum of money on him and suggested they went with him to his Adoato residence.

DSP Amewu said not suspecting anything foul, they obliged, accompanied him to the house and handed over the money to him.

After collecting the cash, Asante entered his room with the excuse of picking the original documents for them and vanished with both the money and car.

They never heard from or see him until October 14, this year, when he was caught by the police in a similar case.