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The Accra Circuit Court has acquitted and discharged Lawrence Nii Narku Odonkor, also known as Larry, the former head pastor of the Akyem Oda branch of Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI).
Odonkor had faced charges of stealing over GH¢7,000 from the church, Graphic.gh.com reports.
Odonkor had consistently pleaded not guilty to the two counts of stealing and dishonestly appropriating GH¢7,054 intended for his Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions and taxes.
On September 15, 2023, the Court, presided over by Judge Ellen Ofei-Ayeh, rendered its verdict, asserting that while there was an appropriation of funds by Odonkor, it did not amount to dishonesty.
The Court's judgment pointed out that Odonkor, in his role as the administrative head of the Oda branch of the church, had correctly recorded and signed in the church's account books monies earmarked explicitly for his SSNIT contributions and taxes on behalf of the church.
Even though the money was deposited into his personal account, the Court emphasized that Odonkor had inquired with a senior bishop about any outstanding financial obligations upon resigning from the church, and the response was negative.
Following a full trial spanning one year and seven months, the Court ultimately acquitted and discharged Odonkor.
It is worth noting that Odonkor is among six pastors who have initiated legal action against Lighthouse Chapel International regarding their SSNIT contributions.
The criminal case had been initiated by police prosecutors in response to a complaint filed by the church.
According to the prosecution, Odonkor, who held the position of bishop within Lighthouse Chapel International, served as the head pastor and administrative head of the Akyem Oda branch of the church between January and April 2020. As part of his responsibilities, he was tasked with ensuring the payment of SSNIT contributions and taxes for himself and the employees under his purview.
In March 2020, the prosecution alleged that Odonkor wrote a GH¢8,527 cheque, itemized as GH¢5,000 for his February salary, and GH¢1,667 and GH¢1,850 for his SSNIT contributions and taxes for January and February 2020, respectively. However, it was asserted that he deposited all these funds into his personal account, utilized them for personal expenses, and failed to remit the SSNIT contributions and taxes to the appropriate authorities.
A similar incident occurred in April 2020, where Odonkor again wrote a GH¢8,527 cheque. Out of this amount, GH¢5,000 was designated as his March salary, while GH¢1,667 and GH¢1,850 were meant for his SSNIT contributions and taxes for March and April 2020, respectively. Yet again, all these funds were deposited into his personal account, and the SSNIT contributions and taxes remained unpaid.
In September 2020, Odonkor purportedly wrote to SSNIT, complaining that the church had neglected to remit his SSNIT contributions. This alerted the church to the fact that Odonkor had not been making these payments, leading to penalties amounting to GH¢10,963.91.
Subsequently, the case was reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service, leading to Odonkor's arrest.
However, during the trial, the prosecution failed to substantiate their claims, ultimately resulting in Odonkor's acquittal and discharge.
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