A junior pastor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to defrauding a teacher of GH¢78,800 under the pretext of securing her a teaching job in Malaysia.
The convict, identified as Stephen Yaw Gyamfi, is a junior pastor at Blessed Gate Worship Centre at Mim in the Ahafo Region.
He was sentenced by the Nsuta Circuit Court on Friday, August 7, 2026, with His Lordship Simon Nketiah Gagah presiding over the case.
According to reports, the complainant, Abigail Darkwah, a 41-year-old teacher at Onwe M/A 2 JHS near Ejisu, was introduced to Gyamfi in January 2025 by a colleague who claimed he could help her secure employment in Malaysia.
The pastor allegedly demanded US$4,300, equivalent to GH¢73,100 at the time, claiming the money would cover the processing of her visa and the purchase of an airline ticket.
Darkwah initially paid GH¢15,000 before reportedly handing over another GH¢58,100 after the pastor told her that her visa had been approved and would soon expire if she failed to complete the payment.
Gyamfi allegedly made further demands, requesting GH¢3,800 for hotel reservations and GH¢1,900 for travel insurance. This brought the total amount allegedly collected from the teacher to GH¢78,800.
After receiving the money, the pastor reportedly disappeared, prompting Darkwah to report the matter to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department (RCID) in Mampong.
Police investigations subsequently traced Gyamfi to a hideout at Mim in the Ahafo Region. He was arrested on June 22, 2026, after the Mim Police received a wireless alert, and was later transferred to the Mampong RCID for further investigation.
During interrogation, Gyamfi reportedly admitted to the offence in his cautioned statement and was subsequently charged before the Nsuta Circuit Court.
The court had allowed him to refund the money, but he managed to pay only GH¢10,000, leaving GH¢68,800 outstanding.
The court ordered that the GH¢10,000 refund be handed over to the complainant and advised her to pursue civil action to recover the remaining amount after the convict serves his prison sentence.
In delivering the judgment, the court said the 10-year custodial sentence was intended to serve as a strong deterrent to people who engage in fraudulent travel and employment schemes.
