Pastor Entangled in GH¢130,000 Land Fraud Allegations

A 48-year-old pastor, David Doe Kwaku, has been arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, for allegedly defrauding a Ghanaian nurse based in the United States of America of a total of GH¢130,000.00 under the pretext of securing land.

Pastor Kwaku, who resides at Dawhenya near Tema, is facing two counts of defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). He pleaded not guilty when he made his first appearance on June 4, 2025. He was previously scheduled to appear on June 2, but failed to show up, prompting an adjournment.

The court has granted him bail in the sum of GH¢150,000.00, with three sureties — two of whom must be public servants residing within the court’s jurisdiction and earning no less than GH¢5,000.00, and one justified with title deeds equivalent to the bail amount. The accused has also been ordered to deposit his Ghana Card with the court registry and to report weekly to the police until further notice.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, outlined the allegations as follows:

Count One: In 2018, the accused allegedly obtained GH¢70,000.00 from the complainant, Senyo Tsakpoe Nelson, under the false claim that he could secure a parcel of land near Central University, Tema. Pastor Kwaku is said to have made the claim knowing it to be false and failed to provide any documentation or land despite repeated demands over a two-year period.

Count Two: In 2023, the pastor allegedly convinced the same complainant to part with an additional GH¢60,000.00 for a different parcel of land located at Abbey, Dawhenya. This transaction also failed to yield any tangible results, with the land remaining untraceable and no documentation produced.

The court heard that Mr. Tsakpoe, a Ghanaian nurse currently residing in the United States, had entrusted Justice Amenuveve Agboh, a teacher based in Dome, Accra, with power of attorney to act on his behalf. According to the prosecution, Pastor Kwaku, who was once a close friend of the complainant, took advantage of that trust to orchestrate both fraudulent land transactions.

Following years of failed promises and unverifiable claims, the complainant’s wife — who witnessed the payments — urged him to cease dealings with the accused. Suspecting fraud, Mr. Tsakpoe instructed his attorney-in-fact to report the matter to the police in March 2025.

Investigations revealed that Pastor Kwaku was already in custody in Aveyime, Volta Region, for a similar fraud case. A wireless alert from the Accra Regional CID led to his transfer to Accra on March 18, 2025. After being granted police inquiry bail, the accused failed to comply with the conditions and went into hiding.

On May 30, 2025, with the assistance of the complainant, police re-arrested Pastor Kwaku from his hideout. During interrogation, the accused admitted in his cautioned statement that he collected GH¢92,000.00 from the complainant to secure land, though the full amount in question totals GH¢130,000.00.

The court has ordered the prosecution to file all disclosures and witness statements by August 4, 2025, ahead of the Case Management Conference (CMC).

The case has been adjourned for further proceedings.

The post Pastor Entangled in GH¢130,000 Land Fraud Allegations appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

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