In the early October, 2024, GBC Ghana Online reported that Ghanaian popular Pastor Hammond Love, known publicly as Pastor Love, was sentenced to 48 months (4-years) imprisonment with hard labour.
Pastor Love was found guilty of the offence after a seven-year trial.
Before he was sentenced, Pastor Love pleaded with the court for mercy, adding that he was willing to pay any fine that would be imposed on him.
The court presided over by Isaac Addo, took into consideration the fact that the convicted Pastor Love was a first-time offender.
The court held that as a Pastor, he was expected to hold a high level of integrity, especially in matters of trust, and therefore handed him the 48-month jail term as a fair deterrent.
Mr. Samuel Amakwah, the victim who arrested Pastor over car theft painfully revealed the truth about the case. Samuel who has been a childhood friend and also extended family member of the popular pastor narrated the story to a Ghanaian Journalist/Youtuber Kofi Adoma on ‘Kofi TV’.
In fact Samuel Amankwah, a Ghanaian based US, shipped a Toyota vehicle into Ghana and tasked Pastor Love to clear it from the port. Mr Samuel explained that, he was not having enough money to clear the car from the port so he decided to take a bank loan from a rural bank which he made all the necessary arrangement with the bank manger. After that, he called his friend pastor love and talked to him about his situation. The pastor told him not to go for loan he will help and take his money after the car is sold instead of a loan with an interest.
The cost of the import duty was GHS270K Ghana cedis then. According to Mr Samuel Amankwah, his sister gave Pastor love GHS150K Ghana cedis and Pastor Love added GHS120K Ghana cedis to it and cleared the car from the port. He came to Ghana the following month to fetch his vehicle from his friend Pastor Love but the agreement between his and the pastor changed. Pastor Love came with different amount with an interest that was not what they agreed with.
Pastor Love told him that, the import duty was GHS400K Ghana cedis and he is taking interest of GHS200K Ghana cedis which was not what they talked about. Mr Amankwah agreed to pay the debt and fetch his car but Pastor Love did not release the vehicle to him. He started hide and seek and actually declined his calls for about two weeks before he got a tip off and arrested him at East Legon police station.
According to the Samuel, Pastor Love was released and and was giving time to provide the car. For about eight years now, the Pastor did not give the car back as well as the money he sold the vehicle after revealing to police that he has sell the car.
Watch the full video below:
Video Credit: Kofi TV
Read the Background below: Background Credit: myjoyonline.com
The ex-husband of Ghanaian gospel musician Obaapa Christie, Pastor Love, has been jailed for 48 months in hard labour for stealing.
Pastor Hammond Love, widely known as Pastor Love, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison with hard labour.
GBC Ghana Online reports that Pastor Love was found guilty of the offence after a seven-year trial.
Before he was sentenced, Pastor Love pleaded with the court for mercy, adding that he was willing to pay any fine that would be imposed on him.
The court presided over by Isaac Addo, took into consideration the fact that the convicted Pastor Love was a first-time offender.
The court held that as a Pastor, he was expected to hold a high level of integrity, especially in matters of trust, and therefore handed him the 48-month jail term as a fair deterrent.
The facts of the case as presented by ASP Frimpong was that in 2016, one Samuel Amankwah, a resident of the US, shipped a 4×4 vehicle into Ghana and tasked Pastor Love to clear it from the port.
The convict cleared the said vehicle with his money, after which the complainant told him to sell it for US$50,000 and deduct the amount he paid as a duty.
Later, the complainant told Pastor Love to hold on with the sale of the vehicle as he would travel to Ghana and refund his money.
In April 2017, the complainant arrived in the country and contacted Pastor Love for his vehicle, but he could not produce it despite several demands.
The complainant lodged a complaint with the Police and Pastor Love was arrested in May 2017.
During interrogation, the convicted Pastor Love told the Police that he secured a loan of GH¢40,000 with 20 per cent interest to clear the vehicle and was accruing more interest, so he sold the vehicle at GH¢80,000 without the consent of the owner and paid GH¢70,000 to the loan company.
Meanwhile, Pastor Love was unable to lead the Police to the said loan company to verify the claim and could not also tell who bought the vehicle.
The Judge said the convict was dishonest to the Court.
Source: Thepressradio.com| Ogyem| 2024
