Rev. Isaac Owusu-Bempah
Counsel for the General Overseer of Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Rev. Isaac Owusu-Bempah and others, has indicated his resolve to petition the Attorney General over what he calls irregularities in his clients’ trial.
Gary Nimako Marfo said he does not understand why the police decided to separate the case and put before different courts when the alleged crime was committed at the same time and flowing from the same event.
He said the prosecution had earlier indicated that they were going to amend the charge sheet but what they did was to separate the cases which will now make Rev. Owusu-Bempah to be appearing before two different courts over the same case.
It is against this backdrop that he said he is petitioning the Attorney General to look into the action since the police are prosecuting the matter on the AG’s behalf.
Mr. Nimako Marfo said that “what the police did sins against Sections 109 and 110 of the Criminal Procedure Act (Act 30),” adding that “this is not the practice of our court.”
The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey, however, noted that the events occurred on different dates and the complainants are different, hence the decision to separate the cases.
He said the case in which the accused are charged with threat of death and offensive conduct occurred on September 8 and 9, and the complainant in that matter is Patricia Oduro, aka Okomfo Agradaa.
He said the second case in which the accused have been charged with assault and causing unlawful damage occurred on September 12, and the complainants are police officers who were assaulted, saying “each of them has distinct and separate charges and facts.”
Police Request Denied
The court where Rev. Owusu-Bempah and two others are standing trial for offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace has refused an application by the prosecution to compel the cleric to produce four suspects.
Chief Inspector Terkpetey had applied to the court to urge Mr. Nimako Marfo to urge Rev. Owusu-Bempah to produce the four who are allegedly connected to him.
These four, the prosecutor named as Matata, Naana Brown, Obi Acheampong and Kwame Amoh of Peace FM.
But the court presided over by Her Honour Afia Owusua Appiah dismissed the application, saying the accused person is not under obligation to assist the police in their investigations.
She said to compel Rev. Owusu-Bempah to produce the four alleged suspects would amount to a breach of his right.
She urged the police to use the legal means available to get the people they are looking for.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak