No show as Owusu Bempah fails to attend court proceedings

The trial of Glorious Word Power Ministries International Leader Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah and three others could not proceed as expected on Wednesday, 19 January 2022.

The Accra Circuit Court presided over by Rosemond Baah Torsu was compelled to adjourn the case to 2 February 2022 after the Owusu Bempah failed to show up.

The accused had written to the court, explaining his inability to attend Wednesday’s proceedings.

At the last adjourned date, the prosecutor had informed the court of successfully filing and serving all the accused persons with the necessary disclosures and witness statements to be used for the trial.

Today, the team was expected to call their first witness Okaija Welbeck Dauda, a police officer.

Rev Owusu Bempah, together with Michael Boateng, Frederick Ohene, and Nathaniel Agyekum, have all pleaded not guilty to two charges, each of abetment to cause harm and unlawful damage.

They have since been granted a GHC100,000 bail each.

Facts of the case

Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey, who read the facts, indicated that the complainant was Evangelist Patricia Oduro Koranteng, also known as Nana Agradaa.

On 9 September, this year, at about 5:30 pm, the New Weija Police District Command received a distress call from Godfred Antwi of House number 36, Atta Mills Road, Aplaku, a suburb of Weija that at about 3:30 pm same day, Owusu Bempah in the company of about 45 well-built men besieged the Thunder Plaza at Weija belonging to the complainant to attack her.

The prosecution said since Owusu Bempah and the men did not meet the complainant at her residence, they proceeded to the complainant’s second house at New Aplaku and threatened her with words to wit: “We will kill you.”

The police visited the scene and saw the men holding cutlasses and other offensive weapons against occupants at the house.

Eight vehicles and motorbikes were also parked on the street in front of the complainant’s house.

Chief Inspector Terkpetey said Owusu Bempah was also seen seated in a black Toyota Land Cruiser instructing and urging the men to move into the house of the complainant and bring her out.

However, the situation was brought under control, and the complainant and Owusu Bempah were invited to the police station.

According to the facts, Owusu Bempah ignored the police and drove off with his men.

The Weija Police Divisional Command officially wrote to Owusu Bempah to report to assist in investigations, but he refused to accept the letter.

On 12 September this year, the police identified some young men, including Mensah Ofori, an Associate Pastor of Owusu Bempah’s church, as two of the people in a viral video threatening the complainant brandishing a pistol.

Police officers on board Toyota Corolla with registration number NR 9602-20 visited the church of Owusu Bempah to arrest Mensah Ofori.

Another team of policemen in plainclothes also arrested Mensah Ofori, Berchie, Boateng, and Ohene and were taken to the Dansoman Police Station.

But Owusu Bempah, after spotting the police, ordered his church members to “beat and kill” them.

The prosecution narrated that the church members beat up the officers amidst the firing of gunshots, disarmed the police with two service rifles, and vandalised the police vehicle.

Owusu Bempah is also said to have ordered his church members to march to the Dansoman Police Station to free Mensah Ofori, Boateng, and Ohene.

In the process, two policemen got injured.