The leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, and six others have been slapped with 11 new charges over death threats.
The six others are Mensah Ofori, a pastor with the church, Bright Berchie, a member of the church, Kwabena Nyarko alias Matata, also a pastor with the church, Nana Acheampong, a movie producer, Nana Brown, a blogger and Kwame Amoh, a journalist.
All seven accused persons have pleaded not guilty to charges ranging from conspiracy to commit offensive conduct, offensive conduct to the breach of peace, conspiracy to commit threat of death and threat of death.
This was after police prosecution led by Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey dropped the earlier charges, and presented new charges.
They have since been granted bail in the sums of GHc100, 000 each.
The facts presented in court by Chief Inspector Terkpetey are that Evangelist Patricia Oduro Koranteng is the complainant in the matter.
On September 8, 2021, Mensah Ofori and Bright Berchie threatened to kill her and brandished a gun at her with a 24-hour kill notice.
She is said to have been told her offence for the kill notice to be that she was insulting the Head Pastor of the accused person’s church (Rev Owusu Bempah).
A video recording of the alleged threats is said to have immediately trended on social media.
The prosecution said on September 9, 2021, Nana Acheampong and Nana Brown led the accused persons together with 45 well-built men, wielding cutlasses and other offensive weapons to Evangelist Patricia Oduro Koranteng’s property at Weija where they met her absence and proceeded to her residence at new Aplaku.
The ensuing commotion and threats were said to have been reported to the Weija Police by a bystander, and the police moved onto the scene.
The official police invitation to Rev. Owusu Bempah to report himself to assist in investigations fell on deaf ears, and hence his arrest.
Meanwhile, the Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah has directed the prosecution to file disclosures by December 3.
The case has been adjourned to December 14.