A 70-year-old pastor and his son are facing criminal charges in an alleged ¢500,000 fraudulent land deal and a luxury Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
Christopher Nii Sowah Okpoti, a self-styled pastor, and his 34-year-old son, Nii Akpor Sowah, a farmer, are accused of conspiring to defraud a businessman under the guise of selling land. The two are facing charges of conspiracy, defrauding by false pretence, and engaging in a fraudulent land transaction.
The son, Nii Akpor Sowah, who is the second accused (A2), appeared before the Dansoman Circuit Court, where he pleaded not guilty. The court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, granted him bail in the amount of GH¢550,000 with stringent conditions, including three sureties.
According to Chief Inspector Portia Nuarko, who is prosecuting the case, the complainant, Mr. Samuel Javis Kwaku Adjaho, a businessman based in Sakumono, decided in May 2023 to sell his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, valued at GH¢700,000, to settle a financial crisis.
Mr. Adjaho was introduced to the accused persons, who expressed interest in purchasing the vehicle but could not pay in cash. Instead, they proposed to transfer ownership of five plots of land at Oyarifa—allegedly registered in the name of the pastor—as part payment worth GH¢500,000.
After inspecting the land and receiving what appeared to be a valid indenture, the businessman agreed to the deal and handed over the vehicle. However, when he later attempted to take possession of the land, he was confronted by people claiming to be the rightful owners.
When the complainant reported this to the accused, they offered to relocate him to another set of plots—this time in a location that turned out to be even more problematic, raising further suspicions.
Efforts to retrieve his vehicle or get a refund proved futile. The accused allegedly evaded the complainant’s calls and failed to honour multiple promises to resolve the matter.
A formal complaint was lodged with the police on May 2, 2025. Both suspects were arrested on May 6, and during interrogation, reportedly admitted their involvement but failed to return the money or the vehicle.
Police investigations uncovered that the accused had no legitimate title to the lands they had offered. It also emerged that the G-Wagon had already been sold to a third party without the complainant’s consent.
The case, according to investigators, appears to be part of a broader pattern of deception involving bogus land deals.
As part of the bail conditions, two of the three sureties must be public servants earning not less than GH¢5,000 monthly and living within the court’s jurisdiction. The third surety must also be a public servant who can provide property title documents equivalent to the bail sum. The accused is further required to report to the police every week until the trial progresses.
The court has directed the prosecution to file all disclosures and witness statements ahead of a case management conference scheduled for June 6, 2025.
