Court adjourns Bishop Borngreat’s case again
The Ashaiman Circuit Court has again adjourned the case in which Bishop Eric Borngreat Aboagye and 21 others have been charged for flouting the ban on social gathering in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The court, presided over by Mrs Agnes Opoku-Barnieh, directed the prosecution to furnish the accused persons and their lawyers with witness statements two days before the next court sitting on May 26, 2020 to enable a Case Management Conference (CMC) to begin.
The purpose of the CMC is to identify the essential issues in the litigation and to avoid unnecessary, burdensome or
duplicative discovery and other pre-trial procedures in the course of preparing for the trial of those issues.
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Bishop Borngreat of the Heavens Life Global Church and 21 of his congregants, including two juveniles, have been charged for failing to comply with the restrictions imposed by Executive Instrument 64 as extended by Executive Instrument 90 of the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012).
All the accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Facts
The Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Akwasi Ahenkorah Afrifa, said on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, Bishop Aboagye and his congregants, numbering over 50, held a church service at the Heavens Life Global Church at Lebanon School Junction at Ashaiman.
He said a joint team of police and the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly task force picked information about the prayer service which was contrary to the Imposition of Restrictions Act, (Act 1012) which had been in force since March 15 as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
He said Bishop Aboagye escaped and fled the church premises upon sighting the team which had moved in to enforce the law.
Read also;
- Bishop Borngreat flouts ban on religious gathering- Law chases him
- Bishop Borngreat, 21 others granted bail
Arrest
The team, however, managed to arrest some of the congregants who were handed over to the police who arraigned them before the Ashaiman District Court on Thursday, April 30, 2020.
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The Ashaiman District Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Bishop Aboagye, but on Monday, May 4, 2020, he reported himself to the Ashaiman Divisional Police and was arrested by the police, charged and arraigned before the Circuit Court.
Writer’s email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh