Fake Pastor in court for swindling student

A self-styled man of God who allegedly swindled a student, after asking her to bring her money and electrical gadgets for purification, on Thursday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Isaac Passah is alleged to have taken the complainant’s laptop valued at GH¢2,000.00 cedis, two apple tablets valued at GH¢3,400.00 cedis, a Nokia Lumia 900 and Blackberry phone valued at GH¢1,550.00 and cash of GH¢3,800.00 cedis, with the pretext of purifying them, but bolted with the items and money.

Passah and his accomplice whose name was given as Cephas, now at a large, have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime.

Passah was additionally charged with defrauding by false pretences.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the court presided over by Mr Samuel Boakye Yiadom admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GH¢20,000.00 with two sureties, one to be a public servant earning not less than GH¢500.00 cedis a month.

He is to re-appear on November 20.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) A.A. Yirenkyi said Ms Benedicta Nsiah is a student of the University of Ghana whiles Passh resides at Chantan in Accra.

On September 16, this year at about 3:00pm the complainant was returning from lectures and on reaching a place close to Accra Polytechnic, Passah asked her to direct him to Christ Embassy Church.

The prosecution said the complainant told Passah that she did not know the location of the church.

ASP Yirenkyi said immediately one Cephas chipped in and told the complainant that Passah was a “Man of God,” who could help her spiritually.

Consequently, prosecution said Passah and Cephas asked the complainant to go and bring her laptops, mobile phones and other valuables, for purification because an evil spirit was following her.

ASP Yirenkyi said the complainant became terrified and went to withdraw all the money in her bank account totaling GH¢3,800.00 cedis, and added her electrical gadgets and on September 17, this year, at the Achimota Overhead Bridge, the complainant handed over the items and money to Passah and Cephas for prayers.

Before praying, the prosecution said, the accused persons asked the complainant to go and buy water so it could be blessed and used for the purification.

Cephas and Passah escaped with the complainant’s money and items.

The following day, the prosecutor said at about 09:00 hours, the complainant spotted Passah at the 37 Military Hospital and caused his arrest.

In Passah’s caution statement, he admitted the offence and a laptop and GH¢3,800.00 cedis was retrieved from him.