The criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ashanti Regional Police Command has mounted a search for the founder and leader of the New Vision Party, Prophet Daniel Nkansah, who is also a Minister of the gospel and head pastor of the New Vision Pentecostal Church in Accra, for allegedly defrauding a number of people in Kumasi, under the pretense of taking them abroad. A source close to the Police Public Affairs Unit confirmed to The Chronicle in an interview yesterday that the New Vision Party leader is being investigated by the police for allegedly defrauding some people in Kumasi, after promising to send them to the United State of America and France. The victims alleged that the head pastor and founder of the two-year-old NVP told them at the initial stages that he and the executives of the party were going to launch the party overseas, and wanted to go with some members. According to them, Prophet Nkansah told them that the necessary preparations and documentations had been completed and that they only needed their travelling papers to enable him secure visas for them from the embassies involved. One of the spokespersons of the victims, Anita, Kyei Addae claimed that Prophet Nkansah fold them that those who are not members of his church would pay an amount of GH¢ 12,000 while members of his church who wish to travel with the party would pay GH¢6,OOO. Anita continued that several months after paying the money, they lost contact with -Prophet Nkansah, as his mobile contacts were all switched off, until they got information a few weeks ago that the Head Pastor was preparing to travel to the United States with his family. Becoming suspicious of the moves, Anita said they alerted the police in Kumasi who also mounted a search for him, but to no avail. But a source at the Police Command told this reporter that a bench warrant had been issued by a court in Kumasi for the arrest of the NVP founder. However, the embattled Head Pastor has launched a swift defense, describing the allegations as fictitious and a calculated attempt by his political opponents to tarnish his image. "I am not running a travel and tour agency," he said. According to him, some political opponents are bent on destroying him because he has refused to give in to their demands. Reacting to the allegations in a telephone interview, Prophet Nkansah said he and his executives were planning to do an official launch of the party in Europe and the US, and he has invited interested persons who wish to travel for the launch to bring their applications. Being aware of the processes involved in travelling abroad, Prophet Nkansah said the party, as an entity, wrote a letter to the France and the U.S Embassies to request for applications covering 20 people who had then applied. He said, in the letter, the party indicated that it had been able to mobilize GH¢3,000,000 as a sponsorship package for the trip. But according to him, after the application, the France Embassy informed them that the sponsorship package could cater for only four applicants and, therefore, requested that the party increases its financial base. He noted that in the interim, the France Embassy issued referral letters to four applicants for an interview, while the necessary preparations were being made to increase the financial package to enable the remaining sixteen book their appointments dates. "When we went to the France Embassy in Accra, even Joy FM came there and they saw everything, so how can it be alleged that we are duping people," he added. Source: The Chronicle Tuesday