The lawyer for controversial Ghanaian pastor, Bishop Daniel Obinim, says the arrest of his client was an attempt by elements within government to divert public attention from the remission of Jail term of Montie three.
Samuel Atta Akyea says government wants Ghanaians to look beyond the gaffe it committed when it remitted the four-month custodial sentence of a presenter Salifu Maase and two presenters Alistair Tairo Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn who were convicted for contempt.
He said the Bishop has not done anything untoward to warrant the treatment meted out to him by the police.
“This is not a common criminal but he was locked up and handcuffed and place before Daily Graphic and Ghanaian Times as if this is the most topical issue in the country few hours after the Montie FM has hit the airwave,” he told Francis Abban, host of Joy FM’s Midday News.
After several failed attempt by the police to him help them investigate an incident in which he flogged two church members for allegedly fornicating, Bishop Obinim on Tuesday turned himself in at the Tema Police Command.
Supporters of Bishop Daniel Obinim at the police CID in Accra
Later he was rounded up and sent to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for allegedly defrauding someone to the tune of GHS11.6 million.
He was later transferred to the Nima Police Station to spend the night there. This angered his followers who massed up at the police station to be with him.
Related Article: Obinim followers mass up at Nima Police Station
Despite the plea by the police to have them returned to their homes, the members of God’s Way International Church refused. He was sent back to the CID office for questioning.
Joy News’ Komla Adom who was on the scene said the “supporters have massed up at the police CID office demanding the release of Bishop Obinim amidst chanting of songs.”
He explained not even the attempt by the police to spray water on them was enough to disperse them.
But Mr Atta Akyea described the allegation as “watery and doesn’t make sense”, adding, the Bishop does not “even know the person who is accusing him.”
Commenting on the presence of the supporters, he said contrary to reports making the round, the supporters of Bishop Obinim did not block the road leading to the CID as was being put out in the public.
“I don’t think that was the scenario, they came in their numbers [but] I do not think they have any criminal propensity,” he said.
He parried the claim that his client was denied a bill saying the police officials said they would do so after the interrogation.
He disclosed Bishop Obinim is not unmoved by the development, adding, “To my amazement, he is high spirited because he has never dealt with anybody in a gold business.”
-myjoyonline