Pastor Hammond Love, currently serving a 48-month jail sentence for theft, has been granted bail by an Accra High Court. The bail, set at GHC2 million, requires two sureties backed by landed property.
The pastor was convicted for stealing a Toyota Highlander valued at $50,000 in 2017, a vehicle owned by his childhood friend, Samuel Amankwa.
Despite pleading not guilty, he was found guilty by the trial judge, Isaac Addo, and sentenced accordingly.
Justice Kizita Naa Koowah Quarshie, who presided over the bail hearing, ordered that Pastor Love submit his passport, which must remain valid until at least November 15, 2025. Additionally, he is required to report to the police every Tuesday.
Pastor Love’s lawyer, Kwame Yeboah, argued that the appeal against the conviction had a strong chance of success. According to Yeboah, evidence presented during the trial showed that the convict used his own funds to clear the vehicle and had informed the complainant afterward.
Yeboah further stated that the complainant had instructed Pastor Love to sell the vehicle and deduct the expenses but later changed his mind, creating a misunderstanding. He assured the court that his client had ties to the community, including a family, and would not abscond.
However, Assistant State Attorney Rita Ofosua Appiah opposed the bail application, asserting that the appeal was unlikely to succeed and that the initial judgment was legally sound. She urged the court to dismiss the application.
The prosecution detailed the events leading to the case, explaining that the complainant had shipped the unregistered vehicle to Ghana in 2016 and entrusted Pastor Love to clear it. After the vehicle was sold without consent, the complainant reported the matter to the police, leading to Pastor Love’s arrest.
Efforts to trace the purported buyer and the microfinance company involved in the transaction were unsuccessful, raising questions about the pastor’s claims.
This bail decision now awaits the outcome of the appeal, which could potentially alter the course of Pastor Love’s legal journey.
