Pastor in court for operating university without accreditation

The long arm of the law has caught up with a Reverend Minister who for two years operated a university college at Mankessim in the Mfantseman West District without authorization from the National Accreditation Board.

The Reverend Dr. Alfred Amoo, is now standing trial at a Cape Coast Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Samuel Asare-Nyarko, on the charge of operating an unauthorized educational institution.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is on a GH¢10,000 bail.

Giving his evidence on Wednesday, the investigator of the case, Police Detective Inspector Noah Bonney, told the court that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) received reports that someone had been operating a university without certification at Mankessim.

He said a team of police personnel led by him were detailed to Mankessim to investigate the complaints.

Detective Bonney said it discovered that the administration block of the school, named Jesus Christ of Nazareth University College, was housed in an old dilapidated building, which was a primary school.

He said the team met some of the administrative staff, tutors as well as students in the building with the students writing exams.

However, Amoo was not around at the time.

The team, he said, halted the examination and confiscated the examination papers.

Further inquiries by the Police, he said, led to the discovery of another location at the outskirt of Mankessim where a canopy had been erected with chairs and a blackboard under it which served as a lecture shed for the students.

Detective Bonney said further investigations established that Amoo was operating a tertiary institution without certification so two of the administrative staff were arrested and sent to the Police Headquarters to assist in investigations

Amoo was, however, arrested at the CID head office when he reported there.

The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, October 26.

Source: GNA