Rev. Owusu Bempah’s trial: Prosecution opens case Feb. 2

State prosecutors will open their case on February 2 by calling the first witness in the trial involving the General Overseer of the Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah.

Rev. Owusu Bempah is accused of allegedly inciting his church members to beat up three policemen.

Three members of the church — Micheal Boateng, Frederick Ohene and Nathaniel Agyekum — are also facing the law for allegedly taking part in the beating of the policemen and destroying a police vehicle.

The first prosecution witness was expected to take the stand last Wednesday but that did not happen due to the absence of counsel for the accused persons who was said to be unwell.

The Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Ms Rosemond Baah Torsu, therefore, adjourned the case to February 2 this year.

Charges

Rev. Owusu Bempah has pleaded not guilty to abetment to cause harm and unlawful damage, while the three other accused persons pleaded not guilty to causing harm and unlawful damage.

The four accused persons are each on bail in the sum of GH¢100,000, with one surety

Apart from the alleged assault on the police officers, Rev. Owusu Bempah is also standing trial in a different Circuit Court for allegedly threatening to kill self-acclaimed fetish priestess-turned-evangelist, Patricia Oduro Koranteng, aka Nana Agradaa.

Prosecution’s facts

Per the facts, on September 8, Rev. Owusu Bempah and 45 heavily built men went to Nana Agradaa’s house to attack her, with the men shouting: “We will kill you”.

The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Terkpetey, said Rev. Owusu Bempah instructed the men to bring Nana Agradaa out of the house so he teaches her a lesson.

The police, he said, rushed to the scene and prevented any potential bloodshed.

He said after the said incident, the police invited both Nana Agradaa and Rev. Owusu Bempah but the latter ignored the police invitation.

Viral video

The prosecutor said on September 12, 2021, the police saw a viral video in which Ofori and two other members of the Glorious Word Power Ministry International were threatening to kill Nana Agradaa, for which reason they went to Dansoman and arrested Ofori, while other officers went to Rev. Owusu Bempah’s church to arrest the others.

Rev. Owusu Bempah on seeing the policemen, allegedly ordered his church members to beat and kill them.

He reportedly ordered the church members to march to the Dansoman Police Station to free those arrested.

Following his orders, the church allegedly charged on the policemen and beat them up amid gunshots, disarmed the police of two service rifles and vandalised their car.