Convicted Pastor Love granted GH₵2m bail, appeals against 48 month jail term

The High Court in Accra has granted bail to convicted Pastor Hammond Love in the sum of GH₵2 million as he seeks to appeal his 48-month jail term.

In addition to the bail sum, the convict, affectionately known as Pastor Love, must provide two sureties who can justify their properties within the jurisdiction of Accra. The court presided over by Justice Naa Koowa Quarshie, further stipulated that Pastor Love must deposit his passport with the registry. The passport must remain valid until at least November 15, 2025.

Pastor Love, who was present in court, must also report to the police once a week on Tuesdays.

On October 1, 2024, the Circuit Court in Accra convicted and sentenced Pastor Hammond Love to 48 months in prison for stealing a Toyota Highlander 2013 model, which had been shipped to Ghana in 2016.

Despite pleading not guilty to the charges, Pastor Love was found guilty after a full trial, which lasted seven years. The Circuit Court, under the leadership of His Honour Isaac Addo, sentenced him to hard labour.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, Pastor Love and his legal team filed a notice seeking bail pending the determination of the appeal.

In his application for bail, filed on Friday, November 15, Pastor Love’s lawyer, Francis Kwame Yeboah, argued that there were significant errors in the trial court’s judgment. He contended that the case against his client lacked sufficient grounds, claiming that the Circuit Court had previously acknowledged that Pastor Love used his own money to clear the vehicle. After clearing the vehicle, the complainant, Samuel Amankwah, allegedly asked Pastor Love to sell the vehicle for $50,000 and deduct the charges. The defence argued that the judge had contradicted this statement by later finding Pastor Love guilty of theft.

However, the prosecution, led by Assistant State Attorney Rita Ofosua Appiah, opposed the bail application. The prosecution argued that Pastor Love was a convicted individual and was, therefore, not entitled to the presumption of innocence. They also noted that the convict had admitted to selling the vehicle with the complainant’s consent and that the matters raised by the defence were evidentiary issues which should be dealt with during the appeal.

In response, Justice Naa Koowa Quarshie exercised her discretion in favour of granting Pastor Love bail after considering both sides’ arguments.

Background

According to the prosecution, the complainant, Samuel Amankwah, a businessman residing in the United States, shipped a Toyota Highlander 2013 model into the country in 2016. He tasked Pastor Love with clearing the vehicle. The accused used his own funds to clear the vehicle.

Afterwards, the complainant allegedly instructed Pastor Love to sell the vehicle for $50,000 and deduct the clearing charges. However, the complainant later informed Pastor Love that he would not sell the vehicle and would pay the clearing charges upon his arrival in Ghana in April 2017.

When the complainant arrived in Ghana in April, he demanded the vehicle from Pastor Love but was unable to retrieve it. Several attempts to get the vehicle from Pastor Love failed, leading to a report being made to the East Legon Police Station on May 25, 2017.

During police interrogation, Pastor Love claimed he had secured a loan of GH₵40,000 with 20% interest to clear the vehicle. He stated that the loan was accruing interest, and he, therefore, sold the vehicle without the complainant’s consent for GH₵80,000. He also claimed to have given GH₵70,000 to the loan company.

However, the accused could not lead the police to the loan company, nor could he provide information about the person who bought the vehicle. This led to the charges being brought against him, and he was subsequently convicted and sentenced.