Self-styled pastor grabbed for defrauding banker of GH¢70,000
A self-styled pastor, who allegedly defrauded a female banker of GH¢70,000, has been arrested by the police for fraud, at Pokuase, in the Ga West municipality, of the Greater Accra Region.
Eric Agyare, 37, pastor, who promised to assist the banker to solve her marital problems, is in police custody assisting in investigations.
He allegedly connived with his so called spiritual father, Papa Uche, in Anambra State in Nigeria, and received money from the complainant (name withheld), to assist her spiritually solve her marital problems, but to no avail.
The Abokobi District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police (Supt) Edward Tetteh, who confirmed the story to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, said that two more victims have also lodged similar complainants against Agyare at the police station.
The police commander said last year, Agyare met the female banker at a church crusade, and the suspect claimed the complainant’s marital problems were spiritual, and he wanted to pray for her.
Supt Tetteh said the suspect told the complainant that he needed to approach his spiritual father, one Papa Uche, in Anambra State in Nigeria, to help him ‘break’ spiritual attacks on him (suspect) to enable him solve the complainant’s problems.
Supt Tetteh said Agyare collected a mobile phone from complainant, adding that suspect claimed he will send the mobile phone to the spiritual father, Papa Uche, which he would use in praying with her.
The Police Commander said “with this, the spiritual father, who would not speak on phone, but only communicated with complainant, using text messages, started demanding various sums of money from the complainant”.
Supt Tetteh said later Papa Uche claimed the mobile phone was smashed, and demanded another one, which the complainant provided.
The Police Commander said Agyare demanded monies in local currencies and dollars from the complainant, to ‘break’ evil forces influencing her marriage and work.
Supt Tetteh said by the end of 2018, Agyare defrauded the complainant of more than GH¢70,000.00.
He said Agyare was arrested at his hideout in Pokuase, and detained for investigation.
Supt Tetteh said investigations revealed that Agyare did not belong to any church in Ghana, but moved from one church to another, claiming to be a prophet. E
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI