Pastor grabbed over fake currency

A self-styled pastor and businessman, Kofi Gidi, has been put before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly possessing fake currency ($8,400).

He has also been put before the court for defrauding an accountant of GHc5,000 and $27,000.

The suspect was arraigned before a court presided over by Mrs Ruby Naa Quaison and charged with possessing forged currency without lawful authority, making black paper and defrauding by false pretences.

The accused, who is said to be part of a syndicate which defrauded the accountant, pleaded not guilty and has been granted bail in the sum of GHc10,000 with two sureties, while the case has been adjourned to today.

Narrating events leading to the arrest of the suspect, the prosecuting officer, ACP Moses Atibilla, told the court that the complainant, one Charles Egan, is an accountant while the accused person is a self-styled pastor and businessman.

According to him, the suspect, who was part of a syndicate which earlier defrauded Egan in September 2014, approached him (Egan) a few weeks later at Shoprite posing as a pastor who saw in a vision that Egan had been defrauded.

He noted that the accountant, who believed the suspect, took him home and later narrated his ordeal to the suspect, who collected GHc5,000 from the complainant after allegedly removing some voodoo spells from his house.

In addition, he stated that the suspect, through various means, collected $27,000 from the accountant.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant, sensing that there was no truth in what the pastor was doing, decided to lodge a complaint at the Amanfrom police station on March 28, 2015.

He said the police, whilst searching the suspect’s house, found forged $8,400 and US$100,000 of black notes which he intended to further produce as money.

The prosecutor stated that after his arrest the suspect admitted the offence and relinquished his vehicle, valued at GHc34,000, as part of the refund of the $27,000.

The ACP added that the suspect was arraigned after police concluded investigations.