An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Nana Yaw Bonsu Kwarteng, a 35-year-old online pastor, into police custody over an alleged romance fraud and blackmail scheme involving seven complainants.
Kwarteng has been charged with six counts of conspiracy to commit crime, namely defrauding by false pretences, and six counts of defrauding by false pretences. He also faces a charge of non-consensual sharing of intimate images, which will be prosecuted before the High Court.
His wife, Sally Akosua Amoasah, has been jointly charged with six counts of conspiracy to commit crime, namely defrauding by false pretences.
The court adjourned proceedings to August 6, 2026, for the pleas of the accused persons to be taken.
Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, who led the prosecution, told the court that Kwarteng allegedly used an Instagram account, where he portrayed himself as a pastor, to establish relationships with women before inducing them to part with large sums of money.
According to the prosecution, the complainants include an ambassador and several businesswomen. Kwarteng allegedly proposed marriage to some of the women, visited their families, and claimed to operate a profitable car tyre business.
Police told the court that he allegedly convinced the complainants to provide money, claiming the funds were needed to clear consignments of tyres. The prosecution said the amounts allegedly obtained included US$33,000, GHS25,000, US$4,000, GHS22,000, and other foreign currencies, which were not repaid.
The prosecution further alleged that Kwarteng secretly recorded intimate images and videos of some of the complainants and later used the recordings to threaten or blackmail them when they demanded refunds. It also alleged that he shared intimate images of one complainant with his wife.
Police said the accused persons allegedly went into hiding after the complainants reported the matter, despite being invited for questioning.
According to the prosecution, the couple were arrested at their hideout on July 20, 2026, following intelligence-led operations. Kwarteng allegedly attempted to flee during the operation but was re-arrested.
While Kwarteng was remanded into police custody, Amoasah was granted bail in the sum of GHS100,000 with two sureties. She has also been ordered to report to the case investigator every Monday and Friday.
The prosecution informed the court that investigations are ongoing and that additional persons have since reported to the police claiming to have been victims of the alleged scheme.
The Ghana News Agency has also gathered that Kwarteng is wanted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in connection with separate investigations.
