Bishop Kanco files for bail pending appeal against sentence

Accra, June 6, GNA - The case in which Bishop Samuel Vaglas Kanco, General Overseer of Vineyard Chapel has filed for bail pending appeal against his 18 month conviction, was on Monday adjourned to June 10. Kanco's lawyer, Mr Kissi Agyabeng noted that in spite of the order m= ade to the Registrar of the Circuit Court to transmit its judgment to the High Court, it had not been complied with.

Mr Agyabeng said: 93This is the problem that we are still facing. We are therefore praying the court to grant us a short adjournment." The court presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist in the absence of the convict, obliged to the request of the counsel and adjourned the matter to June 10.

The convict had moved to the High Court on the basis that the trial judge erred in jailing him and therefore want to be released before beginning the process to fight against his conviction. Bishop Kanco was on May 6, sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court, after being found guilty of defrauding Ms Clova Sutherland, a British national and a lawyer of A3120,000. The convict, apart from the jail term, was ordered to pay the money. Bishop Kanco collected the cheque for A3120,000 from Ms Sutherland un= der the guise of praying over it, but went ahead to cash the money without her consent, and then vanished.

The cheque was to be issued to Ms Sutherland's boyfriend who Bishop Kanco described as 93evil."

During the trial, Bishop Kanco created the impression that the amount was a gift from Ms Sutherland. The complainant, who was unemployed at that time, told the court that the convict told her the cheque which bore her boyfriend's name had to be prayed on because if she gave it to him (boyfriend), he would use it as a point of contact to kill her.