A fraud incident dating back to 2016, involving the illegal sale of a vehicle, landed the preacher in police custody. Footage surfaced showing Pastor Love, the ex-husband of gospel singer Obaapa Christy, being led away in handcuffs.
Prior to his sentencing, Pastor Love had consistently found himself in the news, ranging from his divorce with ex-wife Obaapa Christy to various other incidents.
Pulse Ghana has compiled all the times Pastor Love has made headlines; here’s a rundown:
1. Divorce from Ex-Wife Obaapa Christy
Pastor Love Kweku Hammond and gospel singer Obaapa Christy, formerly Christiana Love, married in 2003 and had three children together. Their marriage, which seemed strong through personal and professional collaborations, began to unravel in the late 2000s.
Their divorce, finalised in 2011, was highly publicised and marked by serious allegations from both sides. Pastor Love accused Obaapa Christy of infidelity, while she countered with claims of physical and emotional abuse.
The fallout from their separation was tumultuous, involving court cases and media disputes. Pastor Love claimed to have written many of Obaapa Christy’s hit songs, though she dismissed these assertions, leading to ongoing conflicts even after their split.
Despite the end of their marriage, both have continued their careers, with Obaapa Christy achieving success in the gospel music industry and Pastor Love remaining vocal about their past relationship, keeping their conflicts in the public eye.
2. Pastor Love Curses Obaapa Christy Over Song Rights Dispute
Pastor Love has vehemently denied Obaapa Christy’s claims about him being the creative force behind her successful tracks, and has launched a series of accusations and insults against her.
"Have you ever written a song before?" he questioned. "I'll keep insulting you for a whole month; if I’m not tired, I’ll continue. Village woman, unserious woman. You’re a curse. All these people who call themselves gospel musicians. Do you even live out the messages in your songs?" Pastor Love lashed out.
Further escalating the dispute, Pastor Love accused Obaapa Christy of using him for publicity and even laid a curse upon her, stating, "Anytime you sing any of the songs I’ve written for you, you’ll die an instant death."
3. Pastor Love Accused of Theft
The theft incident dates back to 2016, when Samuel Amankwah, a resident of the United States, shipped a 4×4 vehicle to Ghana. He tasked Pastor Love with clearing the vehicle from the port, agreeing that the pastor could sell it for USD 50,000 and deduct the clearing costs from the sale.
However, Amankwah later decided to postpone the sale, intending to return to Ghana and personally reimburse Pastor Love for the clearing expenses. In April 2017, upon returning to Ghana, Amankwah contacted Pastor Love to retrieve his vehicle. Despite multiple demands, Pastor Love was unable to produce the car. Frustrated, Amankwah filed a police complaint, leading to Pastor Love’s arrest in May 2017.
During police interrogations, Pastor Love claimed he had borrowed GHS 40,000, with a 20 per cent interest rate, to cover the vehicle’s clearing costs. He stated that the accumulating interest forced him to sell the vehicle for GHS 80,000 without the owner’s consent. Of this amount, Pastor Love allegedly paid GHS 70,000 to the loan company. However, he was unable to provide the buyer’s identity or direct police to the loan company to verify his story.
The judge concluded that Pastor Love’s account lacked credibility and that his failure to provide substantial evidence indicated dishonesty throughout the trial.
4.Pastor Love jailed 4 years
After a seven-year legal battle, popular Ghanaian pastor Hammond Love, commonly known as Pastor Love, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison with hard labour for theft.
The ruling was handed down by the Accra Circuit Court after Pastor Love, the ex-husband of gospel singer Obaapa Christie, was found guilty of stealing a vehicle entrusted to him.
Before the sentence was pronounced, Pastor Love pleaded with the court for leniency. He expressed his willingness to pay any fine the court would impose rather than face imprisonment.
Despite his appeal, the presiding judge, Isaac Addo, emphasised that as a pastor, Pastor Love was expected to uphold a higher standard of integrity, particularly in matters involving trust. As a first-time offender, the court considered his plea but determined that a prison sentence was necessary to serve as a deterrent.