Lawyer for Rev Owusu Bempah, led by Gary Nimako Marfo has indicated their displeasure about the decision of the police to arraign his clients before two separate courts in the same case.
He has therefore served notice to petition the Attorney-General (A-G) about the development. He told the Circuit court 1 that the facts of the case were the same while the two trials were linked to the same alleged incident.
But, the prosecution in response said the cases happened on different dates with different complainants. In respect of the case before the Circuit Court 1, which happened on September 8 & 9, the complainant is Nana Agradaa, while with regards to the case before the Circuit Court 2, the complainant is the Ghana police service with the incident taking place on September 13.
GHc400k bail for unlawful damage
The Circuit Court 2 presided over by Her Honour Mrs Rosemond Baah Torsu has granted bail to Rev Isaac Owusu Bempah over assault on police officers.
The General Overseer of Glorious Word Power Ministry International and three others who had earlier on been discharged in the charge of threat of death in another court, pleaded not guilty.
Rev. Owusu Bempah together with Michael Boateng, Frederick Ohene and Nathaniel Agyekum all pleaded not guilty to two charges each of Abetment to cause harm and unlawful damage.
They have been granted GHc100, 000 bail each with a surety to justify making the combined bail sum of GHc400, 000.
The case has been adjourned to November 15, 2021.
The brief facts of the case as presented to the court by Detective Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey were that, the complainants are police personnel stationed at the intelligence unit of the Ghana Police Service at Police Headquarters.
According to the prosecutor, the first accused person (Rev Owusu Bempah) is the General Overseer of the Glorious Word Power Ministry International while the second, third, and fourth accused persons are members of the Church.
He told the court that, on September 9, 2021, the first accused and some members of his church including one Mensah Ofori an associate pastor of the first accused person beseeched the premises of Evangelist Patricia Oduro Koranteng alias Nana Agradaa and threatened to kill her which video went viral on social media.
He said, on September 12, the police identified some of the young men including the said Mensah Ofori and Bright Berchie as among the two people in the viral video threatening the complainant and brandishing a pistol.
He said, the Complainants (Police personnel) onboard Toyota Corolla with registration number NR9602-20 visited the church of the first accused at Sakaman after the Church had closed service to arrest Mensah Ofori and Bright Adu Berchie.
He said, another team of plain-clothed policemen had arrested Mensah Ofori, brought him to the Dansoman Police station and detained him.
Detective Chief Inspector Terkpetey said, the first accused on seeing the police personnel ordered his church members to beat and kill them.
“He further ordered his church members to march to Dansoman police station to free Mensah Ofori.
“Some of the church members among whom were the second, third and fourth accused set upon the police and beat them up amidst firing of gunshot, disarmed the police of two service rifles and vandalized the Toyota corolla saloon car.”
According to him, four police officers were injured and were admitted at the police hospital for treatment.
“On September 14, the policemen were discharged for them to report himself periodically for review.
“Investigations also led to the retrieval of one of the service weapons from a church member,” he explained.
He said, “a second weapon was also retrieved through the help of the station officer of the Dansoman police.
After Investigations, the accused persons were charged and arraigned before the court.
