Accra: An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Nana Yaw Bonsu Kwarteng, a 35-year-old online pastor, into police custody over alleged romance fraud involving seven complainants. Kwarteng faces multiple charges, including six counts of conspiracy to commit crime, namely defrauding by false pretences, and an additional charge of non-consensual sharing of intimate images, which will be prosecuted at the High Court. His wife, Sally Akosua Amoasah, is also charged with conspiracy to commit crime, specifically defrauding by false pretences.
According to Ghana News Agency, Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, who is prosecuting, informed the court that Kwarteng allegedly used an Instagram account to pose as a pastor, establishing relationships with women to extract money from them. The court has adjourned the proceedings to August 6, 2026, when the pleas of the accused will be heard. Amoasah has been granted bail of GHS100,000 with two sureties and must report to the case investigator every Monday and Friday.
The prosecution revealed that the complainants include an ambassador and several businesswomen. Kwarteng reportedly contacted them via Instagram, proposed marriage, and even visited some families, claiming to run a profitable car tyre business. He allegedly acquired sums of money, including US$33,000, GHS25,000, US$4,000, GHS22,000, and other foreign currencies, under the pretense of needing funds to clear tyre consignments but failed to repay.
Further allegations include Kwarteng secretly recording intimate images and videos of some complainants, using them to threaten or blackmail when refund requests were made. It is also claimed that he shared intimate images of one complainant with Amoasah. The couple allegedly went into hiding after the complainants pursued the matter, ignoring police invitations.
The prosecution stated that the couple was arrested at their hideout on July 20, 2026, following intelligence operations. Kwarteng allegedly attempted to flee but was re-arrested. Investigations are ongoing, with additional victims reporting to the police. Ghana News Agency reports that Kwarteng is also wanted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for separate investigations.