"Pastor" sentenced to three years imprisonment for fraud

Mpraeso (E/R), Jan. 9, GNA- A Circuit court at Mpraeso has sentenced a 37-year-old self-styled pastor to three years imprisonment in hard labour for defrauding three persons including a Police Sergeant of 10.2 million cedis with the promise of sending them to work in South Korea.

The "Pastor", Joseph Lugu, pleaded guilty to all the three counts of conspiracy to defraud, defrauding and jumping bail. The court ordered the accused to refund the various sums of money he took from the victims after serving his sentence.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Alex Gyamera Acheampong told the court presided over by Mr Kwabena Assuman Adu that in February 2004, Lugu came to stay with one Pastor Obour at Nkawkaw-Asuogya for some few months.

He said Lugu informed Pastor Obour that he had a friend in South Korea who wanted him to recruit a number of men to work for him in Korea and wanted to know if he was interested.

The Prosecutor said the Pastor did not show any interest in the transaction because of the nature of his work so Lugu contacted Sergeant Gyabeng Manu of the Ghana Police Service at Nkawkaw, Ernest Adu Gyamfi and Daniel Helevi, a mason and collected five million cedis, 3.950 million cedis and 1.250 million cedis respectively from them with the promise to use the amount to secure visas to enable the three persons to travel to South Korea.

He said when Lugu failed to secure the visa for them after several demands, a report was made to the Nkawkaw Police and he was arrested. Chief Inspector Acheampong said when Lugu appeared before the court he pleaded for bail to enable him to dispose of his building plot in Accra to pay for the cost involved, but failed to appear before the court again until he was arrested in Accra three weeks ago.