Terchire SDA members deny causing disturbance

Sunyani, Oct. 30, GNA - Members of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church at Terchire in Brong Ahafo on Thursday denied that they were involved in a commotion at the premises of the High Courts at Sunyani on September 2, this year.

In a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency by Mr Stephen Agyeman Badu, chairman of the Board of the Church, the members said they "still submit to the church's authorities and do not condone any acts of the so-called concerned members of the church".

"We submit to the authority, which God Himself has established and have no plan to stand against the church authorities whatsoever".

The statement said the attention of the members was drawn to a Ghana News Agency report that they were involved in the said commotion.

It said members of the branch Church resident abroad withheld assistance they intended to give to the Terchire Church because they had read the publication on the Internet.

On September 2 this year, some members of the Church in the region besieged the premises of the Court to express their dissatisfaction about what they perceived as the slow proceedings of an allege theft case involving some executives of the Church.

The members left the courtroom very disappointed and furious after Mr Kofi Debrah, the presiding judge announced another adjournment of the case till October 7.

They yelled out, demanding an explanation to the adjournments and delays in the hearing of the case.

Two pastors and three executives of Mid-West Ghana conference of the church were on February 17, this year arraigned before the court on the allegation that they had stolen more than 19,000 dollars, 160 million cedis and quantities of Aluzinc roofing sheets belonging to the church.

The accused who pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of conspiracy to steal, stealing and dishonestly receiving were on 200 million cedis bail each with two sureties justified.

A sixth accused, Pastor Richard Addai Mununkum, pleaded guilty with explanation and was granted a self-recognizance bail after he told the court that he was prepared to refund the packets of roofing sheets in his possession.