Trial of leader of Shiva Linga Church begins

The trial of Pastor James Nana Akwasi Agyemang, Leader of Shiva Linga Church based in Abidjan, who allegedly defiled eight girls and absconded began at an Accra High Court on Wednesday.

Mr Stephen Yaw Pepera, father of three of the victims mounted the witness box to narrate circumstances surrounding the arrest of Pastor Agyemang.

Mr Pepera, first prosecution witness and member of the church told the court that the accused never took his children as promised to school but only sexually abused them.

Led in evidence by Mrs Evelyn Keelson, Principal State Attorney, Mr Pepera said he and the accused were engaged in the sale of herbal medicines stressing that the accused paid him accordingly, and he (Pepera) preached anytime the accused was outside Abidjan.

Witness said because he and the accused worked together, the accused promised to take care of three of his children in Ghana so they could attend good schools.

Mr Pepera said in 2006 the accused told him that he (accused) wanted to run an orphanage and therefore, wanted some of his children to live with him (accused) at his house at Saint John’s in Accra.

He said the accused told him that he (accused) was only interested in girls to live in his house at St John’s and would include boys later.

Witness said it was when one of the victims, who visited the accused in Ghana and returned to Abidjan informed one Mary Anaglatey, a mother of two of the victims, who told him (witness) about the ordeal the children were going through.

Mr Pepera said Mary told him that one of the victims, on her return to Abidjan, realised that anytime the victim removed her panties flies fed on it and she passed urine indiscriminately.

He said Mary told him that she suspected that the victim was suffering from candidiasis, hence decided to treat her with boiled water.

Witness said Mary however, inspected the victim’s private part and saw that the victim was not suffering from candidiasis rather she had been defiled by someone.

Mr Pepera said to confirm what the victim had said, he together with Mary called the victim and she told them of her plight and rest of the victims.

He then called Bismark Sarpong, driver of the accused to allow him to speak to his two daughters in Ghana.

Mr Pepera said his children confirmed the matter and pleaded with him to come for them otherwise they would die.

He said the children told him that the accused had threatened them not to inform anyone about their ordeal otherwise they would become mad, and threatened them with dreadful pictures of some deities.

“When I asked Sarpong whether he was aware of what the accused had been doing to the victims, he denied any knowledge,” witness said.

Mr Pepera said when the accused returned to Abidjan and was confronted; he (accused) denied ever defiling any of the eight children.

He said the accused told him that because he (accused) had commented over the alleged divorce of Archbishop Duncan Williams, he was being harassed by the public.

In addition to his plight, witness said the accused contended that because people were peddling lies that he had defiled the victims, the Police and journalists were after him.

After several excuses given by the accused, the witness said he and Mary Anaglatey came to Ghana and lodged a complaint with the Police.

“Following the report, the accused was arrested and put before court, granted bail but escaped. I vowed to look for him but did not succeed,” witness said.

Witness said he had heard about ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and therefore, approached him to help arrest the accused.

“I suffered before reaching Anas but through his efforts the accused was arrested at Sunyani,” he said.

During cross-examination by Mr Victor Kwadwoga Adawudu, counsel for the accused, witness denied that he was an associate pastor of the accused.

Witness maintained that he got to know the accused through Sarpong.

The accused, who is facing eight counts of defilement, pleaded not guilty and had been remanded into police custody.

He escaped after being granted bail in 2007, but was nabbed with the assistance of ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

Research reveals that Lord Shiva is a major Hindu deity with creative powers and is often symbolized by fused male and female genitals, indicating fertility.

Prosecution earlier told the court that the accused operated a prayer group in Accra and the complainants were eight members of the group.

It said the accused resided both in Abidjan and Accra with some children at his residence in Accra.

Prosecution said the children who lived with the accused were aged between three and 12 years and were brought from Abidjan and other parts of Ghana.

It explained that the children lived with the accused following an arrangement made between the accused and parents of the victims to provide the needs of the children.

Between May and December 2006, the accused defiled the victims several times in turns in his bedroom and bathhouse and threatened them with death and madness if they informed anyone about their ordeal.

However, sometime in December 2006, a 12-year-old victim from Abidjan came to spend her holidays in Agyeman’s (accused) residence in Accra and he defiled her several times.

The victim realised that all the children in the house had gone through similar ordeals.

The prosecutor said when the victim returned to Abidjan, she informed two persons, Stephen Peprah and Mary Anaglatey, parents of three of the victims about the incident.

When the parents rang their children, they confirmed their ordeal, so they (parents) came to Ghana and went to the residence of the accused.

During their interaction with the children, they all confirmed that they had been defiled by the accused and examination by the parents confirmed it.

Prosecution said the parents lodged a complaint with the Police and medical forms were issued to the victims and upon examination, doctors confirmed that they had been defiled several times.

The accused then left the house and could not be traced but later reported to the Police in 2007 and was put before a Circuit Court.

He was granted bail but absconded until March 4 this year, when with the assistance of Anas Aremeyaw Anas he was arrested.

The case has been adjourned to Monday, March 26.**