Prophet Nkansah granted bail

Prophet Daniel Yaw Nkansah, Leader of New Vision Pentecostal Church was on Wednesday admitted to a GH¢70,000 bail with two sureties one to be justified by an Accra Circuit Court.

In addition, he is to report every Monday to the Police.

Prophet Nkansah is standing trail with one Haruna Natogma, unemployed, for allegedly defrauding four farmers from Karaga District in the sum of GHC69, 000 under the pretext that they would assist them to purchase tractors on hire purchase from John Deere Company Limited at Dobro, near Nsawam.

They pleaded not guilty to six counts of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences.

Natogman has already been granted GH¢10,000 bail with two sureties at the court's previous sitting.

The bail follows an appeal by Mr C.H. Chambers, counsel for the accused, to the court that his client would make himself available anytime that he was needed to stand trial.

He also prayed the court to give them time to organise themselves to repay the money to the complainants.

Mrs Ivy Heward- Mills, the trial judge, said from the explanation given by the DCE for Karaga District, who was in court with the other complainants, it could be deduced that the accused persons conspired to dupe the farmers.

She said at the previous sitting, Natogman told the court that he was only hired by Nkansah to work for him and blamed him for their predicament.

Prophet Nkansah, who was also the 2008 Presidential Candidate for New Vision Party, is being tried for similar offences in other courts.

The facts are that the complainants Mohammed Fuseini, Alhaji Yakbu Fuseini, Fuseini Ziblim Alhassan Wumbe and Kassim Alhassan are all farmers from Karaga District in the Northern Region.

Sometime in March 2011, Natogman approached the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Karaga District, and said he could assist the farmers within the area to buy tractors on hire purchase from John Deere Company Limited at Dobro, near Nsawam at a cost of GH¢24, 000 each.

The District Chief Executive informed the complainants who expressed interest and made part payment, totaling GHC69, 000 to the DCE which was paid into Natogman’s bank account at Fidelity bank in Accra who later handed over the money to Prophet Nkansah.

Prophet Nkansah then gave Natogman a commission of GHC13, 000 and invited the complainants to Accra and took them to John Deere Company Limited and showed them some tractors.

The complainants were asked to take photographs with the tractors and promised that they would be delivered to them within two weeks.

The accused persons could not honour their promises and went into hiding.

On October 5, 2011, a report was made to the Police by the complainants and Natogman was arrested and during investigation admitted collecting GHC69, 000 from the complainants and handed over the money to Prophet Nkansah and was given GHC10, 000 for his personal use.

Natogman then refunded GH¢7, 000 out of the money to the Police.

On March 6, 2012, Prophet Nkansah was arrested in his hide-out and in his cautioned statement admitted receiving the money from Natogman.**