Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Acting IGP
Host of ‘TonTon Sansan’ on TV XYZ, Prince Kwame Minkah has condemned the Head pastor of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, saying the violent nature of the clergyman has become a nuisance to Ghanaians.
Owusu Bempah and three others were arrested Sunday for the creation and circulation of multiple videos containing threats, and the brandishing of a weapon, and the assault of some police personnel.
The police say they arrested the suspects “after critically analysing the said videos and based on intelligence gathered,” they proceeded to nab him.
Some police officers were assaulted in the process by some men believed to be close associates of Owusu Bempah.
But reacting to how people become lawless by virtue of their affinity with some top political figures in the country, Kwame Minkah stated that Owusu Bempah ought to face the full rigours of the law.
“A pastor whose actions have made him a gangster; a pastor who can invade a radio station with weapons and threaten to kill,” Minkah said while he recounted how Owusu Bempah and his cohorts invaded Radio XYZ premises in 2019 and threatened to kill a colleague broadcaster Mugabe Maase.
Minkah said nobody was above the law and once the acting IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, sets the pace for the rule of law to triumph, there will be sanity in the country.
He also urged Dr. Dampare to ensure that the matter is followed up to its logical conclusion to help restore Police confidence.
“Acting IGP, this is a test case for you. Let’s know that nobody is above the law and do your work without fear or favour so that people will begin to believe that political figures can’t walk over the police.”
Court
After appearing in court on Monday, September 13, Owusu Bempah, a self-acclaimed spiritual father of President Akufo-Addo, was remanded to prison custody for seven days.
That was without drama. Owusu Bempah’s church members prevented journalists from entering the courtroom to witness the case. The police had to stop pressmen from entering the chamber to calm the nerves of Owusu Bempah’s followers who were becoming rowdy.
Four others who were also denied bail and remanded were Mensah Ofori, Michael Boateng, Frederick Ohene, and Nathaniel Agyekum. They were together charged with six counts: threatening to kill Patricia Oduro Koranteng, popularly known as Nana Agradaa.
While Owusu Bempah and Mensah Ofori were charged with two counts of Offensive Conduct Conducive to the breach of peace and threat of death, the remaining three were also charged with assault on a public officer.
Hospital
Few hours after he was put in police cells, Owusu Bempah was rushed to the Police Hospital on Monday night, while some close family made calls to some top men and women at the Presidency to have him pardoned.
He was, however, returned to cells to serve his one-week remand after doctors treated him and the calls to the “big men” proved futile.
According to Police sources, Rev. Bempah spent two hours at the Police Hospital last night.