Pastor Hammond Love, commonly known as Pastor Love, has been found guilty of theft and sentenced to 48 months in prison with hard labor.
According to GBC Ghana Online, Pastor Love, who is a former husband of gospel musician Obaapa Christie, was convicted after a lengthy seven-year trial.
Before his sentencing, Pastor Love appealed to the court for leniency, expressing his willingness to pay any imposed fines.
The court, presided over by Isaac Addo, considered that Pastor Love was a first-time offender. However, it emphasized that as a pastor, he was expected to uphold a high level of integrity, particularly in matters of trust, which led to the decision of a 48-month prison sentence as a necessary deterrent.
The case, presented by ASP Frimpong, revealed that in 2016, Samuel Amankwah, a resident of the US, shipped a 4×4 vehicle to Ghana and tasked Pastor Love with clearing it from the port.
Pastor Love cleared the vehicle using his funds, and the complainant instructed him to sell it for $50,000, deducting the amount he paid for duty.
Later, Amankwah asked Pastor Love to hold off on the sale as he intended to travel to Ghana and reimburse him.
In April 2017, when Amankwah arrived in Ghana and requested his vehicle, Pastor Love was unable to produce it despite multiple demands.
Consequently, Amankwah filed a complaint with the police, leading to Pastor Love’s arrest in May 2017.
During interrogation, Pastor Love claimed that he secured a loan of GH¢40,000 at 20 percent interest to clear the vehicle, which he sold for GH¢80,000 without the owner’s consent, using GH¢70,000 to pay off the loan.
However, he could not provide the police with the contact information for the loan company or identify the buyer of the vehicle.
