Emmanuel Oko Mensah, one of the six former pastors of the -Light House Chapel (LCI) currently locked up in a legal battle with the church is facing charges of car theft.
The complainant, Rebecca Ebiah, Addae the Director of Human Resource of the church has dragged the pastor to the Accra Regional Criminal Investigation Department for the ex-pastor to explain why he still has in his custody a vehicle belonging to the church.
It is the case of the complainant that Pastor Oko Mensah failed to hand over a Hyundai Elentra Saloon Car with registration GN 8591-21 worth $20,000 when he resigned in October 2019.
Per a police report dated August 26, 2021 intercepted by this paper, Oko Mensah has been slapped with a charge of stealing contrary to Section 124(1) of Criminal Act 1960 pAct 29 as amended by paragraph 4.
The facts of the case are that on 18th June, 2021, Rebecca Ebiah Addae the Director of Human Resource for Lighthouse Chapel International petitioned the Director-General CID against suspect Emmanuel Oko Mensah for stealing Hyundai Elantra Saloon Car with registration number GN8591-12 valued $20,000.00.
According to the petitioner, the suspect was an ex-employee of the above-mentioned church who was officially given the said Hyundai Elantra Car to use for his official duties for the church and that the suspect decided to resign from the church in October 2019 but failed to hand over the official Hyundai Elantra car allocated to him.
The petitioner further stated that suspect Oko Mensah issued a writ against the church and stated that during his employment in the church as a pastor he was not given a car to use.
On the 23 June, 2021 suspect Oko Mensah was arrested for interrogation about the alleged theft of the Hyundai car.
“In the course of questioning, he admitted having had in his possession the Hyundai Elantra car number GN 8591-12 which was allocated to him officially by the church. He claimed that the church authorities had not demanded the said vehicle from him during his resignation” the police report stated.
The suspect further claimed to have knowledge of a practice in the church for any pastor who decides to resign to go with the official vehicle allocated to him. He was cautioned for Stealing and admitted to enquiry bail to assist Police investigations the police document added.
On 24 June 2021, the Hyundai Elantra car with registration number GN 8591-12 was brought by suspect Oko Mensah on request by the Police and same impounded for further action adding that “On 16th August, 2021 accused Oko Mensah was charged with the offence of stealing and was admitted to court bail to appear before Court on a scheduled date.”
Investigation disclosed that, suspect Oko Mensah was employed by the Lighthouse Chapel International as a pastor and in October 2019 suspect resigned but failed to hand over the official Hyundai Elantra car allocated to him.
The case docket is being forwarded to the Legal Unit of the CID Headquarters to be put before court.