Judge Isaac Addo of the Circuit Court has sentenced Hammond Love, also known as Pastor Love, and ex-husband of Obaapa Christy (Christian Love), to 48 months in prison with hard labour for stealing a Toyota Highlander belonging to businessman, Samuel Amankwah.
He was sentenced yesterday after undergoing a full trial that lasted seven years.
The vehicle, valued at US$50,000 was reported stolen in May 2017, after Pastor Love sold it without the complainant’s consent.
During the sentencing, Judge Addo acknowledged Pastor Love as a first-time offender, but emphasised that his position as a pastor required a higher standard of integrity, particularly in matters of trust.
“The court will, therefore, pass a fair judgment to serve as a deterrent,” the judge stated.
When asked to pray for leniency, Pastor Love stated he had an explanation and mentioned that a previous judge had dismissed the criminal charge against him.
However, he was quickly reminded that they had already moved past that stage. The convicted pastor emphasised to the court that he is a first-time offender and pleaded for leniency.
Prosecutor ASP Maxwell Frimpong highlighted the seriousness of the offense, asserting that Pastor Love’s actions had betrayed the trust placed in him by Amankwah.
According to him, the case started on October 18, 2017 when Amankwah, a resident in the USA, entrusted Pastor Love with clearing a vehicle he had shipped from Canada.
Initially, Pastor Love cleared the vehicle using his own funds and was instructed to sell it for $50,000 – with the understanding that he would deduct his expenses.
However, upon Amankwah’s return to Ghana in April 2017, he discovered that Pastor Love was unable to produce the vehicle, despite numerous requests.
This prompted Amankwah to report the matter to the East Legon Police Station on May 25, 2017.
During police interrogation, Pastor Love claimed he had taken a loan of GH¢40,000 to cover the vehicle’s clearance and sold the Highlander for GH¢80,000 to repay the loan.
However, he failed to provide evidence of the loan or the identity of the buyer.
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