[CPProt.net] Ghana: Four persons destroy shrine after looting it

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

www.ghanaweb.com: Regional News of Wednesday, 28 September 2005


Four persons destroy shrine after looting it

Juaso (Ash), Sept. 28, GNA - Four persons all belonging to the same church
including two pastors who allegedly looted the Anhwereso shrine at Konongo
in the Asante-Akim North District of Ashanti and set it ablaze are in the
grip of the law. The culprits, Patricia Anima, founder of the "Lord Will
Fight For Humanity Ministry" and currently a student in Germany, Joseph
Wellington and Stephen Adongo, both pastors and Nana Yaa Agyeiwaa,
unemployed, were said to have unlawfully entered the shrine and stole a
quantity of gold dust valued at 50 million cedis, cash 3.5 million cedis,
two swords and a black stool.

The four were on Wednesday arraigned at a circuit court in Juaso for
conspiracy to commit crime, unlawful entry into a shrine, stealing and
causing damage to property.

The court presided over by Mr Jacob B. Boon, convicted them on their own
plea of guilty but granted them bail in the sum of 50 million cedis each and
ordered them to liaise with Nana Akosua Anhwere, complainant and owner of
the shrine and compensate her to the tune of 61.5 million cedis, the value
of the damage caused to the shrine. Based upon the outcome of the meeting
with the complainant the court said it would pass sentence.

Police Chief Inspector Stephen Opare told the court that the complainant had
owned her shrine for the past 35 years. He said Patricia Anima, the first
accused, was the founder of the 'Lord Will Fight for Humanity Ministry' and
a relative of the complainant, while Wellington and Adongo were pastors of
the church and Agyeiwaa a member.

The prosecution said Anima recently approached the complainant and told her
that she had a vision to collect the two swords at her shrine but the
complainant refused to grant her request.

Chief Inspector Opare said on July 7, this year, the four accused persons
unlawfully entered the shrine and made away with all the items including
cash of 3.5 million cedis after which they set it ablaze. He said the
complainant reported the crime to the Konongo police who arrested the
accused persons and that during interrogations the police retrieved the two
swords from the accused persons.