Pastor, Son Charged Over Alleged GH¢500k Land Fraud

A 70-year-old pastor, Christopher Nii Sowah Okpoti and his 34-year-old son, Nii Akpor Sowah, a farmer, have been charged in connection with a fraudulent land transaction involving GH¢500,000 and a luxury vehicle.

The two are facing multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime, fraudulent land transaction and defrauding by false pretence.

The second accused (A2), Nii Akpor Okpoti, appeared before the Dansoman Circuit Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit granted him bail in the sum of GH¢550,000 with three sureties.

According to the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Portia Nuarko, the complainant, Samuel Javis Kwaku Adjaho – a businessman based in Sakumono – was attempting to sell his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, valued at GH¢700,000 to resolve a financial challenge.

On May 26, 2023 he met the accused persons, who offered to buy the vehicle for GH¢500,000.

Lacking the cash, the accused allegedly offered five plots of land at Oyarifa – purportedly registered in the name of the first accused – as payment.

Although initially hesitant, the complainant agreed after being shown the land and receiving an indenture.

However, when he later attempted to take possession of the land, he was confronted by individuals who contested ownership. The accused then relocated him to a different site, which turned out to be an even worse situation.

Repeated attempts to recover his money failed, as the accused allegedly avoided him and refused to make a refund.

The matter was reported to the police on May 2, 2025. The suspects were arrested on May 6, 2025 and are said to have admitted to the offence during interrogation but still failed to return the money.

Investigations revealed the accused had no legal title to the land and had already sold the complainant’s vehicle to a third party.

Investigators have described the case as part of a pattern of deception used to defraud unsuspecting victims.

During Thursday’s hearing, the court set bail conditions requiring two of the three sureties to be public servants earning not less than GH¢5,000 and residing within the court’s jurisdiction.

The third must be a public servant with property title deeds equal to the bail amount.

The accused is also required to report to the police weekly until further notice.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Portia Nuarko, was directed by the court to file all disclosures and witness statements before the case management conference scheduled for June 6, 2025.

The post Pastor, Son Charged Over Alleged GH¢500k Land Fraud appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

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