An Accra High Court has granted a GHC2- million bail to Pastor Hammond Love, who is currently serving 48 months jail term for stealing.
The court admitted him to bail in the sum of GHC2 million with two sureties to be justified with landed property.
Pastor Love was jailed for 48 months for stealing a Toyota Highlander valued at $50,000 belong to his childhood friend, Samuel Amankwa in the year 2017.
Charged with stealing, he pleaded not guilty. The trial Judge, Mr Isaac Addo at the end of the trial, found Pastor Love guilty and sentenced him accordingly.
The court presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowah Quarshie ordered Pastor Love to submit his passport to the Court Registry. It however explained that the passport should not expire before November 15, 2025.
Additionally, it ordered the serving convict to report to the Police every Tuesday.
Pastor Love through his lawyer, Mr Kwame Yeboah, filed an application for bail, pending an appeal before the court.
Mr Yeboah said the appeal filed for his client had a chance of succeeding and that there was an exceptional circumstance to the matter.
The counsel said a look at the facts before the lower court, and the trial judge admitted that the convict used his own money to clear the vehicle and after clearing, he informed the complainant.
According to the applicant’s counsel, the complainant told the accused to sell the vehicle for $ 50,000 and deduct the charges.
He said the trial judge could not turn around and say that the accused person stole the vehicle.
He debunked the state’s assertion that when his client was granted bail, he would not appear to stand trial.
Counsel said his client had respectable people to stand as sureties when granted bail and the convict was married with children, hence would not abscond when granted bail.
The state led by Ms Rita Ofosua Appiah, an Assistant State Attorney, strongly opposed the application for bail, pending appeal.
According to Ms Appiah, the applicant has failed to demonstrate that the appeal was likely to succeed, and it had an exceptional circumstance.
She disagreed with the applicant lawyer’s submission that there were errors on the face of the judgement.
Ms Appiah argued that the judgement was sound in law and invited the High Court judgement to dismiss the application for bail, pending an appeal.
Prosecution led by ASP Seth Frimpong said the complainant, Samuel Amankwa was a businessman, residing in the United States, while Hammond Love, a pastor, resided in Accra.
Prosecution said on November 30, 20216, the complainant shipped an unregistered Toyota Highlander into the country.
ASP Frimpong said Mr Amankwa informed the convict that he did not have money at the time to clear the car and the convict accepted to clear it with his money for the complainant to refund to him on his return to Ghana.
The Court heard that the complainant told Love to sell the car for $50,000 after clearing it.
Prosecution said the complainant later informed Love not to sell the vehicle till he arrives in Ghana.
According to prosecution, Love indicated that he obtained a loan facility of GHC40,00 from Loyed Micro Finance Company Limited with GHC2,000 interest on every GHC10,000 a month to clear the car by February 1, 2017.
Love said the loan was accruing interest every month and as a result he sold the car without the knowledge and consent of the complainant.
Checks at the Registrar General Department disclosed that Loyed Micro Finance Company did not exist in their system.
Prosecution said the complainant arrived in Ghana from USA in April 2017 and confronted Love for his car, but he (Love) demanded that the complainant should pay an amount of GHC50,00 being the loan he used to clear the vehicle and interest of $2,000 being shipment fees.
The complainant demanded to see the car before payments but that was denied.
On May 25, 2017, the complainant reported the matter to the Police at East Legon and Love was arrested to produce the car he claimed he sold to one Pastor Johson for GHC80,000.
Love failed to produce the said buyer and all efforts made by the Police for Love to assist in tracing the said buyer and the said Micro Finance Company failed.
GNA