Pastor Nana Akwasi Agyemang
An Accra Fast Track High Court yesterday sentenced Nana Akwasi Agyemang, the head pastor of the Ghana branch of the Shiva Linga Church in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to 15 years’ imprisonment in hard labour for defiling eight children.
The court, presided over by Justice Charles Quist found the head pastor guilty on all eight counts and accordingly sentenced him.
The head pastor of the Ghana Shiva Linga Church was sentenced for defiling eight children who were aged between three and 12.
Appeal
However, Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, counsel for the accused in an interaction with a section of the media, said he would head to the Appeal Court to appeal against the ruling.
He said in July, he filed a motion to arrest the judgement but the court ignored it and went ahead to deliver judgment.
Disappointments
Meanwhile, family members of the defiled girls believe the court was lenient with the bonking pastor.
Bismark Sarpong, father of the three-year-old victim who was in tears, stated that the judgment does not correspond with the gravity of the offence.
Background
The victims came into contact with the accused person, Akwasi Agyemang because of his work at the Ghana branch of the church.
With the permission of the parents of the respective children, they lived with the accused at his residence at St. John, near Dome, a suburb of Accra.
He defiled the girls due to the absence of their parents.
He threatened to kill the girls if they ever told their parents about their ordeal.
One of girls informed the parents of the two victims on her return to Abidjan on the sexual escapades of the pastor.
The two parents- one Stephen Peprah and Mary Anaglate confirmed the story via telephone from their respective daughters, and they rushed to Accra and caused the arrest of Akwasi Agyemang.
Escape
In 2007, the accused was charged and put before court, but after the testimony of four witnesses, the accused person jumped bail and went into hiding for four years until he was rearrested at Techiman with the help of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Re-arrest
Akwasi Agyemang was arrested when he sneaked into Ghana from his Abidjan base to spend time with his family.
The surveillance team put in place for months by Anas eventually got wind of his presence in Ghana and reported to the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police who came in quickly to arrest Akwasi Agyemang before he was transferred to Accra for the continuation of the trial.
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By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
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