Owusu Bempah and others slapped with fresh charges

Prosecution has amended the charges against the leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, and five others arrested over death threats.

The church leader, accused of threatening to kill Patricia Oduro Koranteng, also known as Nana Agradaa, stands trial at two separate courts.

In the first court, the Accra Circuit Court One, Rev Owusu Bempah has been charged with offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace over his alleged comment to kill Nana Agradaa.

In the second court, Accra Circuit Court Two, the accused has been charged with abetment for causing harm and causing unlawful damage for allegedly inciting his church members to attack three police officers who went to the church to effect arrest of those who threatened Nana Agradaa.

The accused pleaded not guilty in both courts when the fresh charge sheet was presented on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.

After his plea was taken, counsel for the accused Gary Nimako Marfo moved a bail application. Prosecution did not oppose the application.

The leader was granted self-recognisance bail in the sum of GHC100,000, while two others — Bright Berchie and Mensah Ofori have been granted GHC100,000 bail with two sureties.

Rev Owusu Bempah has also been granted GHC 400,000 bail in the other case he and Michael Boateng, Frederick Ohene, and Nathaniel Agyekum, have been charged with causing harm and unlawful damage to a police vehicle.

In addition to the bail sum, all accused persons are to deposit their passports to the registrar of the court and can only travel outside the country with the express permission of the court.

They are also to report to the police once every two weeks till the final determination of the case.

Mr Nimako Marfo, however, indicated his displeasure to have the case heard in two separate courts. He intends to petition the Attorney General over the latest development.

He insisted that the facts of the case were the same and the two trials were linked to the same alleged conduct. Hence one court should be enough.

But prosecution said there was the need for the cases to be separated for expeditious trial and amendment of the charges.

All accused persons have since pleaded not guilty to the new charges, and granted bail.

Meanwhile, three accused persons have been discharged from the Accra Circuit Court Two.

However, Michael Boateng, Frederick Ohene, and Nathaniel Agyekum are expected to appear before Circuit Court One regarding the injury to the police officers.

The case has been adjourned to November 10, and November 15, 2021, respectively.

 

Why the church leader and his entourage are in court?

A police team stormed the church on Sunday, September 12, to arrest the suspects in connection to multiple videos containing threats and brandishing of weapons.

The church members are said to have allegedly assaulted some of the police personnel under the direction of Rev Owusu Bempah.

In a statement, the Director-General of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori, said the injured cops had received medical attention and responded to treatment.

The police assured that “impartial investigations shall continue in this matter and the public will be duly updated”.

Several videos have been circulating on social media in which junior church pastors brandished weapons amidst threats to attack Nana Agradaa, a fetish priestess who claims to be born again.

In one of the videos, two persons were seen issuing threats against Nana Agradaa and dared her to reveal her location for a clash.

The other waved a foreign-made pistol as he indicated that they were ready to face Nana Agradaa’s men.

In another video, the man who flashed the pistol claimed he had a licence for the weapon and could use it at will.

He vowed to “finish” anyone who would cross his path.

In the Twi language, he claimed laws do not work in Ghana, for which reason one could commit murder and escape punishment.

“In Ghana, you can kill someone and walk freely. It was my property I brandished, and no one can do anything about it.”

Prior to that, Rev Owusu Bempah and some men had besieged the Kokrobite residence of Nana Agradaa. They threatened to beat her up for raining insults on the head pastor of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International.

Nana Agradaa stayed indoors for hours, and Rev Owusu Bempah was heard saying that Nana Agradaa had failed to show up.

After some minutes, Nana Agradaa appeared on top of her storey building and recorded a live video on social media about Rev Owusu Bempah’s presence and armed thugs at the premises of her residence.

A team of law enforcement officers were dispatched to the scene to ensure calm.

Rev Owusu Bempah was later heard in a video saying the “battle had started” and threatened to deal with Nana Agradaa.

He explained that his junior pastors had responded to Nana Agradaa’s insults several times, but he was “ready” to face her personally.

Facts of the case presented in court

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

On September 9, 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 shouting amidst insults 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.

The situation was however brought under control and the complainant and Owusu Bempah were invited to the Police Station.

Per 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 September 12, this year, the police identified some of the 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 and 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 plain clothes also went to arrest Mensah Ofori, Berchie, Boateng, and Ohene at 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 vehicle the police were using.

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.