The manager of Divine Home Company, who is also a pastor, Daniel Mawuli Divine, has been arraigned before the Adentan Circuit Court One for allegedly defrauding a student of GH₵34,000 on the pretext of renting him a two-bedroom apartment.
His secretary, Jemimah Love Nyarko, has also been charged as an accomplice, accused of aiding and abetting her boss.
Appearing before the court, presided over by Her Honour Angela Attachie last Tuesday, they both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court remanded the pastor into police custody and ordered him to reappear on the next adjourned date, February 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, the second accused, Jemimah, was granted bail in the sum of GH₵34,000 with two sureties who should justify their sureties with a landed or movable asset.
Brief facts
Presenting the case before the court, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, stated that the complainant, Samuel Kojo Hoyle, was a student and a resident of Teshie-Nungua, Accra.
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He explained that on December 1, 2024, the complainant was searching for a room to rent and was introduced to the accused persons, Jemimah and Divine, by rental agents at Botwe School Junction, Accra.
C/Insp Lanyo said the accused persons led the complainant to an unfinished two-bedroom apartment in the area. After inspecting the property, the complainant expressed interest, and the accused persons assured him that the remaining work would be completed within a week.
According to the prosecutor, the accused persons charged the complainant an annual rent of GH₵39,600, for which he made an initial deposit of GH₵11,000, followed by GH₵10,000, and later an additional GH₵13,000, bringing the total payment to GH₵34,000.
Chief Inspector Lanyo stated that a week after making the third instalment, the complainant returned to the office to complete the final payment but found that the office had been shut down. Suspecting fraud, he conducted his own investigation and later involved the police, which led to the arrest of the first accused, Jemimah.
He said during interrogation, the first accused denied the charges but admitted that the company had received the money through the second accused, Divine. Further police investigations revealed that after receiving the funds, the accused persons deliberately closed the office and absconded.
Chief Inspector Lanyo told the court that on January 28, 2025, police intelligence revealed that the second accused was travelling from his hideout in Aflao to Accra.
Officers laid ambush at Dawhenya and arrested him. He added that in his caution statement, the second accused admitted to the offence and both accused persons were charged as stated on the charge sheet and brought before the court.
