Church Elder dupes Optometrist

An Elder of Great Fire Pentecostal Church in Cape Coast, who defrauded a Cape Coast based private optometrist of GHc 45, 000.00 under the pretense of securing him old schnapps bottle, has been granted bail.

The Cape Coast Circuit Court granted Samuel Opare Addo, 45, unemployed,

GHc 5, 000 with two sureties.

His alleged accomplices, who are pastors from the same church whose names were only given as Pastor Andy and Pastor Frimpong are currently at large.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretenses and would be re-arraigned on Wednesday August 19.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sylvanus Dalmeida told the court presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava that in March 2013, Addo approached Mr Cephas Biney, the complainant and convinced him that there is much profit in the procurement of old schnapps bottles.

Addo also informed Mr Biney that his school mate, in the person of Pastor Andy, then in Accra had told him that a certain Chief at Koforidua in the Eastern Region had in his possession one of the old schnapps bottles and was selling it for GHc 40, 000.00.

ASP Dalmeida said days later, Addo arranged for Pastor Andy and another person who was introduced as the Chief from Koforidua to meet Mr Biney at a restaurant in Kasoa where Pastor Andy gave Addo one brown schnapps Bottle concealed in a cloth.

He said Pastor Andy assured Mr Biney of the quality of the bottle and collected an amount of GHc 41,000.00 and proceeded with the complainant to Cape Coast with the two accused persons to perform some rituals on the bottle before it would be released to him.

At Cape Coast the accused persons demanded that Mr Biney should pay for a hotel room where they would perform the said ritual at night.

ASP Dalmeida said after Mr. Biney had rented the hotel room for them, Addo informed Mr Biney that he had arranged for a customer from Accra to buy the bottle from the complainant.

The next day at about 0530 hours Addo informed Mr Biney that the supposed buyer had arrived but when he visited the hotel room, Pastor Andy had disappeared and Addo told Mr Biney that one Pastor Frimpong in Accra could assist in tracing Pastor Andy.

ASP Dalmeida said Pastor Frimpong also managed to collect Ghc 4,000.00 from Mr Biney through Mobile Money Transfer making a total of Ghc 45,000.00.

ASP Dalmeida said Mr Biney noticing that he had been defrauded by the accused persons, reported the case to Bishop Bonegas, the General Overseer of the church, who promised to resolve the matter but failed to do so.

Mr Biney then lodged a complaint at the Police Station leading to the arrest of Addo.