A 32-year-old junior pastor, Stephen Yaw Gyamfi of the Blessed Gate Worship Centre at Mim in the Ahafo Region, has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Nsuta Circuit Court after pleading guilty to defrauding a teacher under the pretext of securing her a teaching job in Malaysia.
The sentence was handed down on Friday, August 7, 2026, by His Lordship Simon Nketiah Gagah at the Nsuta Circuit Court in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region.
According to reports, the complainant, Abigail Darkwah, a 41-year-old teacher at Onwe M/A 2 JHS near Ejisu, was introduced to the pastor in January 2025 by a colleague who claimed he could help her secure a teaching position in Malaysia.
The pastor allegedly demanded US$4,300, equivalent to GH¢73,100 at the time, claiming the money was needed to process her visa and purchase an airline ticket. The teacher initially paid GH¢15,000 before handing over the remaining GH¢58,100 after the pastor informed her that her visa had been approved and would soon expire if she failed to complete payment.
He later requested an additional GH¢3,800 for hotel reservations and GH¢1,900 for travel insurance, bringing the total amount collected from the victim to GH¢78,800.
After receiving the money, the pastor reportedly disappeared, prompting the victim to lodge a complaint with the Regional Criminal Investigations Department (RCID) in Mampong.
Police investigations traced the accused to his hideout at Mim in the Ahafo Region, where he was arrested on June 22, 2026, following a wireless alert sent to the Mim Police. He was subsequently transferred to the Mampong RCID for further investigations.
During interrogation by prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Owusu Kobi Moses, Stephen Yaw Gyamfi admitted to the offence in his cautioned statement and was charged before the Nsuta Circuit Court.
Although the court gave him an opportunity to refund the stolen money, he managed to repay only GH¢10,000, leaving an outstanding balance of GH¢68,800.
The court ordered that the refunded GH¢10,000 be released to the complainant and advised her to pursue a civil action to recover the remaining amount after the convict completes his prison sentence.
In delivering the judgment, the court said the 10-year custodial sentence was meant to serve as a strong deterrent to individuals engaging in fraudulent travel and employment schemes.
A group of businesswomen is appealing to President Mahama, the Attorney General, and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene after a court dismissed a case in which they alleged they were defrauded of more than GH¢13 million (130 billion old cedis) by a young man who allegedly promised to import goods for them.
According to one of the complainants, the suspect was arrested in March 2024 and later granted bail. The case proceeded in court until it was dismissed on Wednesday, prompting the victims to seek intervention from the authorities.
