Journalist Detained By Bishop Obinim's Pastors

BY: Dennis Narterh Adzigodi, Ashaiman – Tema.

Adom F.M Journalist Abednego Asante was last Tuesday detained for several hours at
Tema community 8 police station after he was sent to the police station by pastors
of Bishop Obinim’s Tema Community 9 church branch on accusations that he came to the
church premise to secretly record church proceedings.
According to Abednego he was sent to the church last Tuesday to monitor the reaction
and events of the congregation after the last Tuesday court proceedings at the Accra
Cocoa Affairs court. He said midway into the worship he was invited by the pastors
at the church into a wooden structure close to the pulpit and asked if he was
recording the church proceedings without their knowledge. He further stated that his
mobile phone was seized and was threatened by the pastors and asked to produce any
other secret recordings he might have done after he told them that he only came to
the church to witness the church proceedings. “I was surrounded and threatened by
over fifteen pastors and asked to produced all the recordings I did or risk being
sent to the police station” he revealed.
He said in about few minutes later a police patrol car arrived at the church premise
and picked him to the Tema community 8 police station and was detained without even
writing his statement. “I was asked by the police to remove my dress and shoe and
then pushed me into the cell just like that” he disclosed.
Abednego revealed this in an exclusive interview with Sena Radio’s Ebenezer Opong
Boateng (AKA Aberewaba) after he was released from the police custody last Tuesday
night. The journalist who said has not eaten since morning pleaded with the police
to allow him get some food but they declined with the excuse that he will escape.
“They even denied me assess to urinal and food on the grounds that I will escape.
Since morning I took nothing and I was so hungry” he revealed.
He said he was later taken to Tema Community one police station after authorities
from Adom FM led by Efia Pokua arrived at the station and was later discharged by
the Tema Community one Police Commander.
Obinim himself according to sources was given a rousing welcome at his church
premise at Tema by his congregation after the court ruling last Tuesday that granted
him Fifty Thousand Ghana cedis bail and was asked to reappear later on September
26th 2011.
Bishop Obinim the founder of God’s Way International Church and two of his associate
pastors were accused of vandalizing properties at HOT F.M, an Accra based radio
station, and are now facing seven instead of the three initial charges leveled
against them.
In a related development authorities at the radio station have revealed their
intention to pursue the case and even petition the Inspector General of Police (IGP)
on the conduct of the policemen involved in the case. According to them one of their
journalists was also assaulted and brutalized by the same congregation and the case
is pending at the Tema Police Headquarters.