Pastor Entangled in GH¢130,000 Land Fraud Allegations

Dansoman Circuit Court News

A 48-year-old pastor, David Doe Kwaku, has been charged in court. He is accused of defrauding a Ghanaian nurse in the U.S. The total amount involved is GH¢130,000.00. This was done under the pretense of securing land.

Pastor Kwaku lives in Dawhenya near Tema. He faces two counts of fraud by false pretenses. These charges are under Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). He pleaded not guilty during his first appearance on June 4, 2025. His initial court date was June 2, but he did not appear.

The court granted him bail set at GH¢150,000.00. He must provide three sureties for this bail. Two sureties must be public servants earning at least GH¢5,000.00 and living nearby. The third must justify their title deeds equivalent to the bail amount.

Additionally, Pastor Kwaku must deposit his Ghana Card with the court registry. He is also required to report weekly to the police until further notice.

Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder leads the prosecution and outlined the allegations:

Count One: In 2018, Pastor Kwaku allegedly took GH¢70,000 from Senyo Tsakpoe Nelson. He claimed he could secure land near Central University in Tema. Kwaku knew this claim was false and failed to provide any documentation despite repeated requests over two years.

Count Two: In 2023, he convinced Mr. Tsakpoe to pay an additional GH¢60,000 for another parcel of land at Abbey, Dawhenya. This transaction also failed; no documentation or traceable land was provided.

Mr. Tsakpoe is a Ghanaian nurse living in the United States. He entrusted Justice Amenuveve Agboh with power of attorney to act on his behalf in Ghana. The prosecution claims Pastor Kwaku exploited their friendship for these fraudulent transactions.

After years of unfulfilled promises and unverifiable claims, Mr. Tsakpoe's wife urged him to stop dealings with Kwaku due to suspicions of fraud. In March 2025, Mr. Tsakpoe instructed his attorney-in-fact to report the matter to police.

Investigations revealed that Pastor Kwaku was already in custody for similar fraud in Aveyime, Volta Region. A wireless alert from Accra Regional CID led to his transfer on March 18, 2025.

After being granted police inquiry bail, he did not comply and went into hiding until May 30, 2025 when he was re-arrested with help from Mr. Tsakpoe.

During interrogation, Pastor Kwaku admitted collecting GH¢92,000 from Mr. Tsakpoe for land but denied full responsibility for the total amount of GH¢130,000.

The court has ordered all disclosures and witness statements filed by August 4, 2025 before the Case Management Conference (CMC).

The case has been adjourned for further proceedings.