Two pastors of Ghana New Life Evangelistic Association have been charged for forgery of documents by an Accra Circuit Court.
Alex Osei, 52, and Peter Enyo, 45, both pastors of the church, have been accused of forging the signatures of some other pastors of the church, who are the complainants, to file a suit at an Accra High Court against their church director without their consent.
They have therefore been remanded by the court presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Essandoh to reappear on March 16, 2022.
Narrating the case to the court, the prosecuting officer, Inspector Eric Pobee indicated that the complainants in the case are Kwaku Twumasi Asante, who resides at Tabora-Accra, Jonathan Bannerman, who resides at Mendskrom-Accra and Appiah Kubi, resident of Asanti Bekwai.
He said the accused persons and the complainants are pastors and members of the Ghana New Life Evangelistic Association, which has its head in Germany, where the members used to receive their financial assistance and support.
According to him, the pastors and the members noticed that there had been a series of forgeries in their documentations by some group of pastors including first and second accused persons with intent to take over the association and its property from the German founder, Rev. John Andre.
He said this act compelled Rev. John Andre to suspend their financial support from February 2020.
As a result, the prosecutor added that a meeting was held at Kasoa for all the members, including the complainants, in an effort to have the challenge addressed.
“In the course of the meeting, first accused person (Alex) insisted that all the members present at the meeting including the complaints wrote their names and also appended their signatures in the attendance book,” the prosecutor pointed out.
C/Insp Pobee added that some months after the meeting, the complainants realised that first and second accused persons had forged their signatures to bring a legal action against one of their directors.
He continued that, on December 21, 2021, a complaint was lodged with the police where the first accused person was apprehended and in his caution statement, admitted the offence and mentioned second accused person as one of his accomplices who assisted him in preparing the said forged documents and filed same at the high court.
The prosecuting officer stated that on January 24, 2022, second accused person was also arrested, stressing “accused persons failed to lead police to reach their other accomplices. Accused persons were charged to appear before this court while investigation is still ongoing to apprehend their accomplices.”
The accused persons have, however, pleaded not guilty to their charges and have been remanded into police custody.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey