Bishop Daniel Obinim
The controversial pastor of the International God’s Way Church (IGWC), Daniel Obinim, has been arrested by the police, making it the third time he is being put before a court.
This time around, he is reportedly struggling to meet the GH¢100,000 with three sureties, one to be justified, bail conditions imposed by the court.
As a result, Obinim, who claims to be an angel of God and has been frequenting heaven, is set to remain in police custody until he is able to satisfy the bail conditions.
Previous Cases
In the first case, he vandalized a private radio station – Hot FM – but was acquitted and discharged in October 2015 after the complainants had allegedly lost interest in the case.
In September 2018, Obinim and two of his pastors were sentenced to a total fine of GH¢12,000 by an Accra Circuit Court after they had been accused of assaulting two teenagers on the premises of the church.
Media Speculation
Speculations about the arrest of Obinim have been hanging in the media for about a week but on Tuesday night, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) confirmed that they had finally arrested Obinim but did not name the complainant.
The CID, in a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs at the CID, DSP Juliana Obeng, said Daniel Obinim was arrested and put before a Magistrate Court in Accra to answer charges, including forgery of document and publication of false news.
Main Complainant
Although the police have not released the identity of the complainant, DAILY GUIDE understands that it was through the effort of the firebrand Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, that got Obinim arrested.
The MP has vowed to expose pastors and other spiritualists he deems to be fake and has accused Obinim of being one of such characters.
Bail Terms
The police statement indicated that the IGWC founder was arrested on a warrant issued by the court, adding that the suspect had been granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with three sureties, with one to be justified.
“He has been charged with the offences of publication of false news and forgery of document contrary to sections 208 and 159 of the criminal and other offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) respectively,” the statement explained.
It added that Obinim was also under investigations for other offences and said the pastor is expected back in court on June 1, 2020.
Feigning Sickness
According to Mr. Agyapong, the controversial pastor feigned sickness last Friday when police officers with a warrant stormed his house to pick him up for investigations.
The MP later confirmed that he personally reported the pastor to the Inspector General of Police for offences including fraud, money laundering and misuse of the police logo to harass some of his boys he has been having criminal deals with.
More Revelations
In the heat of the speculations about Obinim’s arrest, the MP said on Oman FM that “Obinim has gone to hide at a hospital…I can give you the room number where you are hiding…I know you went for a private room. Obinim you cannot run; you better report yourself.”
“You are feigning sickness of high blood pressure or heart attack. You said you were a man … these boys you have unleashed …, you know what; there are two people who will make Obinim go to jail. I am never going to stop pursuing him,” he added.
Monitoring Obinim
“I am monitoring you. I know the room you are hiding. Continue to fake high blood pressure; even you, because of Covid-19, you have nothing to do, not to talk of preaching and kicking women in the abdomen,” the MP fired.
“They said they would kill me and say it was Obinim’s curse that made me get involved in get an accident. If Obinim has a curse for me, he would not feign sickness and hide at a clinic or hospital when police are on his heels.
“The police had come for him with a warrant. You think I am joking. I took my time to do my investigations before coming out. If indeed Obinim has power, why is he running away from the law and feigning sickness?
“I beg the CID boss to arrest him. He is putting up a deception. He has been roaming since he got to the hospital; I have been told. He is not sick,” the MP said.
Arrest Warrant
According to Mr. Agyapong, a warrant was being issued to get Obinim arrested but when the police tracked him down, the pastor feigned sickness and went into hiding at a private health facility in Accra.
He had said Obinim had claimed to have blood pressure and was hiding at the second floor of the hospital located at East Legon, Accra.
Obinim Rebuttal
Later, one Richard Jackson, who claims to be the special aide to the controversial pastor, rebutted the arrest rumours and said Obinim had since left the hospital and was cooling off in his house.
He had said Obinim had not been arrested by the police as widely speculated, saying “there are news articles circulating on social media but all of them are untrue.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu