Pastor Stephen Yaw Gyamfi Jailed 10 Years for Defrauding Teacher of GHC78.8k in Fake Job Scheme

• The Nsuta Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region handed down a 10-year prison sentence to a 32-year-old junior pastor
• Stephen Yaw Gyamfi collected GHC78,800 from a teacher under the pretence of securing her a job in Malaysia
• The Blessed Gate Worship Centre preacher pleaded guilty to the fraud charge before the court delivered its sentence

A junior pastor in Ghana's Ashanti Region is facing a decade behind bars after a court found that he swindled a teacher out of tens of thousands of cedis through a fabricated overseas job offer.

The Nsuta Circuit Court presided by judge, Simon Nketiah Gagah, on Friday sentenced 32-year-old Stephen Yaw Gyamfi to 10 years in prison on Friday, August 7, 2026, after he pleaded guilty to defrauding a teacher of GHC78,800.

The junior pastor from Blessed Gate Worship Centre had convinced the victim he could arrange employment in Malaysia for her, a position that never existed.

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How Gyamfi's fake Malaysia job scheme unfolded

According to a report by Asaase Radio, Collin Sackey, a colleague of 41-year-old teacher Abigail Darkwah introduced Gyamfi to her after telling her about an alleged lucrative job placement in Malaysia.

The Ghanaian pastor allegedly demanded $4,300, equivalent to GHC73,100 at an exchange rate of GHC17 to the dollar, to allegedly cover the cost of visa processing and airfare.

Believing the offer to be genuine, the teacher handed over the money in the hope of securing a better livelihood overseas.

The victim is reported to have initially paid GHC15,000, leaving a balance of GHC58,100 to Gyamfi, who subsequently requested her passport, claiming it was needed for the travel arrangements.

The prosecution claimed that about a month later, the junior pastor allegedly told Darkwah that her visa had been secured but would expire within six months.

The teacher Darkwah then paid the outstanding GHC58,100, but Gyamfi further demanded GHC3,800 for a hotel reservation and GHC1,900 for travel insurance, bringing the total amount paid to GHC78,800.

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However, no such overseas job materialised, and the scheme unravelled when the victim, who later reported the case to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department in Mampong, realised she had been deceived.

Gyamfi reportedly disappeared after receiving the money and was later arrested by the police on June 22, 2026, after it emerged that he was hiding in Mim in the Ahafo Region.

He was subsequently transferred to the Mampong police CID for further investigations and confessed to the crime in his cautioned statement during interrogation.

The Facebook post detailing the sentencing of Pastor Stephen Yaw Gyamfi is below:

GHC78,800 fraud ends in courtroom conviction

The case came before the Nsuta Circuit Court, with the judge initially presenting him with the opportunity to refund Darkwah's money.

However, the preacher paid only GHC10,000, leaving an outstanding balance of GHC68,800.

The court handed down the maximum sentence, reflecting the gravity of the financial and emotional harm inflicted on the victim.

The court also ordered the prosecution to release the GHC10,000 to Darkwah and advised her to pursue a civil action to recover the remaining amount after Gyamfi’s release from prison.

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The conviction has drawn attention because of Gyamfi's position as a church minister, a role that typically commands trust within Ghanaian communities.

His use of that standing to exploit a fellow citizen has been central to the public interest surrounding the case.

The sentencing serves as a reminder that fraudulent overseas employment schemes continue to target working Ghanaians, with teachers and other civil servants among the most frequent victims of such scams.

US seeks Filipino church leader's extradition

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported about Apollo Quiboloy, the Filipino church leader, after the United States requested his extradition.

Facing serious charges including money laundering and inappropriate relationship smuggling, the preacher's case raised eyebrows both locally and internationally, especially given his previous ties to a former president.

Source: YEN.com.gh