Apostle Ebenezer Boahen (L) and Pastor Samuel Awuah
The Tarkwa Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Apostle Ebenezer Boahene, the Chairman of Christian Divine Church (CDC) and Pastor Samuel Awuah, acting General Secretary of the church, for failing to appear before it.
The arrest warrant was issued after the two failed to show up before the court in spite of a warning by the presiding judge about the previous absence.
The two are before the court on charges of non-payment of SSNIT contributions for pastors of the Church over several years, culminating into about GH¢100,000.
The two Church officials prior to the court issuing the arrest warrant had absented themselves and the court presided over by Mrs. Hathie Ama Manu ordered the accused persons to appear before the court at the next hearing, but they both failed to do so when the case was called on July 25, 2023.
They rather sent a young man by name Ebenezer Kwofie to represent them, and he told court that Apostle Ebenezer Boahene and Pastor Samuel Awuah had travelled.
This assertion was however, refuted by the prosecution led by Emmanuel Awuah, who asserted that the young man was not being honest with the court.
The Prosecutor told the court that Pastor Awuah was in his office the previous day so it was a deliberate attempt by the accused persons to disrespect the court by refusing to attend the court hearing.
The presiding judge, Mrs. Hathie Ama Manu, ruled that criminal cases are personal and, therefore, the accused persons were expected to be in court themselves.
She, therefore, issued a bench warrant for their arrest and adjourned the case to August 11, 2023.