Judgment day for Bishop Daniel Obinim

The high court hearing the case involving Bishop Daniel Obinim, founder of Godsway International Ministry, who allegedly assaulted a radio panelist at Hot FM – an Accra-based radio station – would on October 29, 2015 give its judgment.

The court, presided over by Justice Abdulai Iddrisu, gave the date for judgment after State Attorney and the counsel for Obinim, Joyce Buerko Debrah and Ralph Poku-Adusei respectively, had indicated that they had filed their respective addresses.

Obinim was initially arraigned with his associate pastors – Kingsley Baah and Kofi Akwetey – and together charged with conspiracy to assault, unlawful entry and assault but the trial judge in a ruling on a submission of no case, freed them (associate pastors).

The judge dismissed all the charges against the bishop except for the offence of assault on the host of the Hot FM programme, Nya Asem Hwe Kwame Okatakyie.

Bishop Obinim had told the court in his evidence that he compensated the panelists of Hot FM, who were at the studio when he and his boys stormed there in 2011.

The bishop said his church elders informed him that the panelists had asked for compensation.

Obinim said this under cross-examination by Mrs. Joyce Buerko Debrah.

He explained that Kwame Katakyie, Shadrack Adu and a certain Amoaku told his elders that they could decide the outcome of the case so he should compensate them.

He said he consequently compensated them through his church elders, but did not disclose the amount involved to the court.

In his evidence-in-chief Bishop Obinim stated that he went to the radio station to clarify issues on the allegations of marital infidelity against him, which was being discussed there, but was rather assaulted and pushed out of the place.

The pastor said he never saw any crowbar at the station and did not have any bodily contact with Kwame Ntim, one of the panelists who alleged that he (Obinim) had harmed him.