SDA members cause commotion at court

Sunyani, Sept 2, GNA - Members of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church branches at Berekum, Techiman, Dormaa Ahenkro and Terchire in Brong Ahafo on Tuesday besieged the premises of the Sunyani high court to express their dissatisfaction with the slow proceedings of an alleged stealing case against some of the Church's executives.

The members left the courtroom disappointed and in a furious mood after Mr Kofi Debrah, the presiding judge announced another adjournment of the case to October 7.


They shouted for an explanation to the continued adjournments and delays of the case "since the complainants, suspects and their counsels are always present in court."


Two pastors and three executives of Mid-West Ghana conference of Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church were on February 17 put before the court on the allegation that they stole more than 19,000 US Dollars, 160 million cedis and quantities of Aluzinc roofing sheets belonging to the Church.


Pastor James Kwaku Badu, President of the Conference and Pastor Frederic Kofi Agyei-Baah, Secretary, Alfred Owusu Ansah, Treasurer/Financial Administrator, Daniel Kwabena Donkor and Kwabena Boa-Amponsem, executive members, have pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of conspiracy to steal, stealing and dishonestly receiving and are on 200 million cedis bail each with two sureties.


A sixth accused, Pastor Richard Addai Mununkum, pleaded guilty with explanation and was granted a self-recognizance bail after he told the court that he was prepared to refund the packets of roofing sheets in his possession.

The Court also asked its registrar to write a letter to Bank of Ghana and Barclays Bank of Ghana, Sunyani Branch, to furnish it with the Church's financial position to enable it to continue with the case.


Attempts by security personnel at the court to calm down the members proved futile as they rather attacked the vehicle carrying Pastor Adjei-Baah, hitting it with their hands and legs.


They massed to prevent the vehicle from moving out from the court premises and it had to be given a police escort but they still chased it with insults and shouts of "thieves, thieves".


There was such a rowdy scene at the court's premises that the judge had to stop proceedings and come out to warn the members to leave the place in peace to which they shouted back, "Judge settle our case for us".


Four of the members, including a lady were arrested by the police and detained in the courtroom for contempt of court.

The arrest of the four put fear in the other members who quickly joined their vehicles to leave the place but continued with shouts that they would be there again to fight for their rights.


The facts of the case as presented by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alex Yartey Tawiah, prosecutor, were that on June 27 last year a letter of complaint titled "Financial Malfeasance and Stealing at Mid-West Ghana Conference (MGC) of the SDA Church", was received by the Brong Ahafo Regional Crime Officer and was referred for investigations. The investigations revealed that in 1998 Pastors Mununkum, Badu and Appiah Kubi Kwarteng (at large), conspired and stole 18 packets of Aluzinc roofing sheets being part of donated items from the United States of America for the roofing of the church building and shared them in the house of Henry Adusi Poku, a witness, at Techiman.


ASP Tawiah said other malpractices were detected at MIG and were reported to the Church's Headquarters in Accra upon which a Commission of Inquiry was set into the case.


Only Pastor Mununkum was subsequently dismissed after the inquiry even though there was enough evidence against the other accomplices. The prosecutor added that the Commission's findings infuriated the complainants in the case hence the request for criminal investigations. Six packets of the sheets, being the share of Pastor Kwarteng, now in the USA, were retrieved from Isaac Ayiah, a witness, who was taking custody of them at Hausua, near Techiman,


ASP Tawiah said MGC had a dollar account of 19,121 US dollars at the Barclays Bank Ghana Limited in Sunyani but this was allegedly withdrawn by Pastor Badu, Pastor Adjei-Baah and Owusu Ansah and changed on the black market.

The three upon arrest alleged that they had deposited the money at Bank of Ghana, Sunyani in the form of treasury bills.


He said when they were asked to produce documents covering their claim they refused, insisting that they would only do so after they had been arraigned before a court and the Bank also on request declined to disclose any information to the police.


The prosecutor said the accused also conspired and stole 160 million cedis belonging to the Conference after the former Administrator of the MGC had handed over to them at a session at Techiman.


The three later told the congregation that the financial position of 160 million cedis read at the session was a misinformation. In 1997 and 2001 the Conference allocated 28 packets of Aluzinc roofing sheets to roof the church's branch at Aworowa, near Techiman, which was headed by Owusu Ansah, but according to Samuel Yeboah, Treasurer of the branch, only 22 packets were received and the remaining six were not accounted for.


ASP Tawiah said the three accused also allocated 28 packets of roofing sheets for projects at Brodi, near Sampa in 1997 and 2001. When the police visited the area George Okra, an Administrator, confirmed having received some packets of the roofing sheets but refused to surrender waybills and documents on them.

The prosecutor said Pastor Badu sent his younger brother, Kwabena Donkor, to collect six packets of roofing sheets from Adusi Poku at Techiman in a Peugeot caravan to Kintampo.


He said Pastor Badu, in 1998, bought four packets of roofing sheets at 1,700,000 cedis from Pastor Adjei Baah and investigations revealed that he used the items to roof the house of one Daniel Kuma at Techiman.


ASP Tawiah added that Boa-Amponsem dishonestly received four packets of the roofing sheets from Pastor Adjei-Baah and other Elders of Sunyani New Town Church that was contrary to the Conference's working policy.