A LECTURER at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr. John Kwasi Anaafi, and seven other leaders of the Mystery Church of Ghana were yesterday arraigned before the Accra Regional Tribunal accused of conspiracy to steal.

The seven persons are Emmanuel Kofi Nkebi, Sampson Osae Addo, Osei Sarfo, Isaac Kow, Emmanuel Kofi Quagrain, Alfred Kwame Baah and Joseph Amoako Asante. All the eight accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against them and were granted bail in the sum of ?20 million each to re-appear on October 30, this year.

Justice Adu-Ampomah in the absence of the prosecutor told the packed court that the complainant in the case was the son of Mr. Daniel Arthur, (now deceased), the founder and leader of the Mystery Church with branches in Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra.

The founder in his old age developed poor sight and so authorized the first accused, Nkebi, to be signing all his cheques on his behalf and cashing monies for him as and when necessary from his bankers: the Kaneshie branch of Barclays Bank.

For the purpose of identification, the bank issued the old man with card, with which to send Nkebi any time he came to the bank. Unfortunately, the founder died in March 1997.

After the burial the complainant applied for a letter of administration to enable the bereaved family to administer the personal estate of the deceased.

It emerged after the statement of account of the old man was received from the bank that on April 28, 1997, the first accused had withdrawn an amount of ?15million without authority from the family. It was also realized that an amount of ?20 million had been withdrawn by the same person without any authority, both amounts totaling ?35 million.

The case was reported to the police and the accused was arrested and upon investigations the rest of the accused persons were implicated and were subsequently arrested.

The prosecution's contention, which was read by the judge, was that Nkebi together with the other accused persons broke into the founder's house after his death and stole the card.

In another development a self-styled sports consultant, James Yalley, was arraigned before the same court for allegedly defrauding 13 football fans of US$76,150,000 under the pretence of procuring them Spanish visas to accompany the Accra Hearts of Oak Football Club to Spain for a football tournament organized by FIFA.

Yalley was again accused of collecting from the people ?27,970,000 under the same pretence. The accused who was granted ?150 million bail could not fulfill the terms of the bail as the indenture he tendered before the court was rejected, saying the document was not registered.

He prayed the court to grant him bail to enable him secure the money to pay back to the people.

The court ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody until he fulfils the terms of the bail.