Koforidua (Eastern Region) 07
September 2000
A self-styled pastor/organist and
his wife on Tuesday appeared before a Koforidua circuit tribunal charged with
stealing musical instruments and clothes belonging to the World Vision
Christian Church at Koforidua.
The accused persons, Denis Laryea
and Kate Laryea pleaded guilty.
Denis was remanded in prison
custody to reappear on September 18, while Kate was granted a 1.5 million cedi
self - cognisance bail by the tribunal presided over by Mr. Simon Suurebaarh.
The tribunal head that in April
this year, Denis introduced himself to the leaders of the church as an organist
and pastor from Liberia and that he and his wife wanted to be members of the
church.
The church leaders accepted them
and gave them a temporary place to lodge while efforts were being made to give
them a permanent accommodation.
Four days later Denis went to the
keeper of the church's musical instruments and took sound mixtures, a tape
recorder and a microphone on the pretext that he was going to do a recording.
Kate also packed all the clothes
in their lodging place and the two bolted to Takoradi. They used the stolen items as collateral
to secure a loan of 600,000 cedis from one George to cater for their sick baby.
The prosecution said on September
1, this year, the church leaders had a tip off that the accused persons were
hiding at Somanya. They lodged a complaint with the police and the couple was arrested
at their hideout.
GRi.../