Court Sends Pastor Love Back to Nsawam Prison

Pastor Love Hammond was returned to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison on Friday, 15^th November 2024, despite being granted bail in the amount of GHC2 million in his effort to overturn a four-year jail sentence.

The Accra High Court granted Pastor Love bail on Friday, following an application by his lawyer, Kwame Yeboah, pending the appeal of his sentence.

However, Angel FM’s court correspondent, Ama Brago, reported that Pastor Love was unable to immediately meet the court’s bail conditions, which led to his return to prison.

“As I speak to you, he has been returned to Nsawam, where Pastor Love Hammond was brought from. The GHC2 million was not the only condition of the bail; it also includes justification,” she stated.

As of the latest update, Pastor Love had been sent back to Nsawam, where he had been held before. The bail conditions required him to pay GHC2 million and provide two sureties who must justify their assets with landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.

Additionally, Pastor Love was required to surrender his passport to the court registry and report to the police every Tuesday until his appeal is decided.

Ama Brago further shared that Pastor Love’s lawyer expressed confidence in meeting the bail conditions but advised patience, as fulfilling the requirements could take time.

“I spoke to his lawyer, who expressed confidence in eventually meeting the bail conditions. He emphasised that he had already spoken to Pastor Love about the need for patience, as fulfilling the bail conditions might take some time,” the correspondent added.

The lawyer explained that they needed to secure two sureties with valid properties and documents, followed by an assessment by a valuer to ensure the properties met the necessary value. The lawyer had counseled Pastor Love to return to jail while they worked on meeting these bail conditions.

Pastor Love’s conviction stemmed from a lengthy legal dispute over the sale of a friend’s car in 2017, for which he failed to account for the proceeds. In October 2024, he was found guilty of theft, misappropriation, and dishonesty, leading to his four-year prison sentence.

Background

The case originated from a 2016 agreement between Pastor Love and the complainant, Samuel Amankwah. Amankwah had imported a Toyota Highlander into Ghana and entrusted Pastor Love with the vehicle, asking him to clear it through customs, with a promise to reimburse him for the costs.

Amankwah later instructed Pastor Love to sell the car for $50,000 and deduct the clearing fees from the proceeds. However, in April 2017, Amankwah changed his mind, planning to return to Ghana and intending to pay Pastor Love directly for the clearing costs.

Upon returning, Amankwah found that Pastor Love had neither the car nor the money from its sale, despite several requests. After his arrest, Pastor Love admitted to selling the car without Amankwah’s permission.

He claimed he had taken a GHC40,000 loan to clear the car, which was gathering interest, and sold it for GHC80,000, using GHC70,000 to pay off the loan. However, he failed to prove his claims and could not identify the buyer or the loan company.

During the trial, Pastor Love pleaded for mercy, saying it was his first offense and offering to pay a fine. Justice Isaac Addo, however, rejected his appeal and sentenced him.