By Ebi Kesiena
Three pastors have been sentenced to five days in prison by an Accra High Court for contempt in a leadership dispute within the Holy Apostolic Reformed Church (HARC).
The convicted pastors, Bishop Abraham Adjetey Adjei, Apostle Samuel Anang Sowah, and Bishop Daniel Buernor Tokoli were found guilty of defying court orders and interfering with the church’s activities.
Their actions were in direct violation of a previous court injunction prohibiting them from holding services at the church’s Tema, Teshie, and Nungua branches.
The conflict arose when the pastors refused to recognize the leadership of the HARC and acted independently, a move that breached the church’s constitution. As a result, the court also imposed a fine of GH¢1,000 on each pastor, payable to the church.
The HARC trustees initiated legal action against the three pastors, seeking to assert the authority of the church’s headquarters over the branches they had taken control of. The trustees requested that the court prohibit the pastors from engaging in any church activities until they acknowledged and adhered to the directives of the church leadership.