A 33-year-old businessman, Andrews Amoah Ampaw, has appeared before the Achimota Circuit Court on allegations of defrauding a church under false pretences.
Ampaw pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretences during the court proceedings.
According to police reports, Ampaw was apprehended by officials of the Ghana Immigration Service at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) while attempting to travel outside the country.
Presiding over the case, Mr Isaac Addo, the judge at the Achimota Circuit Court, granted Ampaw bail in the sum of GH¢ 800,000. He also required two sureties to be justified with landed property.
Furthermore, the court ordered Ampaw to surrender his passport to the Registry of the Court until directed otherwise. Additionally, he was instructed to report to the case investigator every Friday.
The allegations against Ampaw stem from an incident where he purportedly collected $57,000 from a clergy member and administrator of a prominent church in the country. The funds were handed over under the pretext of securing a 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser from Dubai for the church.
Subsequently, Ampaw allegedly failed to fulfil his promise and went into hiding, frustrating attempts to retrieve the money.
However, on February 12, 2024, Ampaw was apprehended at KIA by Immigration officials while attempting to leave the country. The complainant, upon identifying him, alerted the authorities.
During interrogation, Ampaw reportedly confessed to the offence in his caution statement.
The case has been adjourned, and further legal proceedings will follow as investigations continue.