| | Pastor Joshua Osei AkwasiA 23-YEAR-OLD pastor who unleashed his libido on a
poor 24-year-old ailing lady, has found himself in the grips of the law.
Pastor Joshua Osei Akwasi, founder and leader of New Vision Church at
Buokrom, a suburb of Kumasi, was on Tuesday slapped with a 19-year
jail-term in hard labour by a Kumasi Circuit Court.
The fair-coloured man of God, who was arrested on Monday for raping one
Agartha Konadu, his church member, was quickly processed for court on
Tuesday on a charge of rape.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court presided over by Richard Mac
Kogyapwah, Chief Superintendent Moses Asabagna Atibillah said the victim
was a church member of the convict.
He told the court that on Sunday January 16, 2010, around 6:00 pm, the
victim who was under the weather, left her residence at Ahwiaa-Adabraka,
also a suburb of Kumasi, to buy drugs from a drug store when she met the
convict at Atimatim.
Chief Superintendent Atibillah narrated that the victim, upon seeing Pastor
Joshua, politely greeted him and introduced herself as a member of his
congregation.
He noted that soon after, the convict asked the victim where she was going
and she respectfully replied that she was sick and going to buy drugs from
a drug store.
Having told the pastor what her mission was, Chief Superintendent Atibillah
said the convict assured the victim that he was capable of providing drugs
that would instantly cure her.
He recounted that the convict therefore asked the victim to furnish him
with directions to her house so that he could bring the drugs to her- a
request she graciously obliged.
After striking the deal with the victim,Pastor Joshua then rushed to his
house at Buokrom and prepared a concoction made up of aaxibra oil, lemon,
orange and many other substances.
The Pastor went straight to the Agatha’s house at about 8:30 pm on the same
day, entered her room and ordered her to drink the concoction with a
promise that she would be cured soon after.
Immediately the victim drank the concoction, she became dizzy and within a
few minutes, went into deep sleep.
Realizing that the Agartha had gone far beyond the world; Pastor Joshua
locked the room, took advantage of the situation and had several bouts of
sexual intercourse with her.
Due to the level of her intoxication, the victim could not get up to open
the door for her boyfriend who had come over to enquire how she was
faring.
He noted that Agartha’s boyfriend had to come back, knocking on three
occasions only for the victim, who, at the time had gained consciousness,
to respond mildly the third time.
Sensing danger, the boyfriend forced the door open and to his dismay, found
Pastor Joshua busily exhibiting his sexual prowess on the victim.
He indicated that the boyfriend immediately took the victim to the Tafo
Government Hospital for medical attention.
Chief Superintendent Atibillah said thereafter, Agartha’s boyfriend lodged
a complaint at the police station and the convict was quickly arrested on
Monday and processed for court on Tuesday due to the severity of the
offence.
After the presentation of facts, Judge Kogyapwah asked Pastor Joshua, who
was dressed in an all-white outfit, whether he was guilty or not; and to
the surprise of the court, he responded that he was guilty.
Against the background of the admission of guilt by the convict, Justice
Kogyapwah, without delay, sentenced him to 19 years’ imprisonment in hard
labour.
Pronouncing judgment, Mr Kogyapwah said the convict had brought untold
shame to the work of God and smeared the dignity of genuine men and women
who are championing God’s work.
He explained that he was dishing out that stiff punishment to the convict
to serve as a deterrent to crooks who had made it their business to hide
behind the work of God to perpetrate criminal activities on unsuspecting
members of the public.
After the judgment, Chief Superintendent Atibillah heaped tonnes of praise
on the presiding judge for the expeditious manner in which he handled the
case, stressing that such conduct boosts the morale of prosecutors.
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