The Kaneshie District Court was forced to adjourn the founder of
the International God’s Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim’s forgery case because
he had taken ill.
The
televangelist, Bishop Obinim, known for his healing prowess with his widely
used ‘Obinim Sticker’ has been advised to seek medical care.
It is the
fourth time Bishop Obinim fell sick while facing police enquiry or trial. There
had been similar instances in 2017, 2018 and earlier this year.
On Monday, his
lawyer, Louis Yiadom Boakye, who stepped in for Dela Blagogee, informed the
Kaneshie District Court of the latest development.
“We profusely
apologise for the absence of Bishop Obinim. He was due to travel to Kumasi this
dawn but his health took a turn for the worse, so he had to seek medical care,”
the lawyer said.
Mr Boakye also
mentioned that the prosecution, led by Detective Sergeant Richard Amoah, has
been informed of the latest developments.
Sergeant Amoah
confirmed that the defence team had indeed briefed them of Obinim’s state of
health.
It is not clear what Bishop Obinim is suffering from as the
lawyer did not give details of his condition.
Following the
latest developments, the court adjourned the case hoping Bishop Obinim would be
present at the next adjourned date.
The case has
been adjourned to November 17, 2020.
Obinim history of being sick before trials
Bishop Obinim
has a history of falling sick when scheduled to face the law.
On May 14,
this year, he ended up at a hospital in East Legon when the police wanted him
for investigations into a case for forgery and fraud against him.
On May 9,
2018, Mr Kojo Adu Boahene, Administrator of God’s Way International Church
informed an Accra Circuit Court that Bishop Daniel Obinim, Founder of the
church who was on trial was sick and had to visit the hospital.
The trial
judge, Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, was unhappy and stated that Bishop Obinim’s
excuses of being sick were becoming too many; “Next time I expect him in
court.”
In another
instance on January 13, 2017, the controversial miracles and healing
pastor, failed to turn up in court in the case where he was facing trial
for flogging two teenagers in open church for having premarital sex.
Background
The founder of
the International God’s Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim is currently facing
new charges.
The
televangelist, his accomplice Kwabena Otchere and four others, are now facing
four counts.
The six people
are to answer to charges of conspiracy to publish false news, conspiracy to
forge documents, the publication of false news and forgery of documents.
But the
controversial pastor has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
At the last sitting, the police had asked for more time to investigate Bishop
Obinim’s case. But Counsel for Obinim slammed the prosecution for employing
‘delay tactics’.
A
not-too-happy counsel, Charles Dela Blagogee, made the critique while
expressing his disappointment at the prosecution’s request for a longer
adjourned date.
The lawyer
said his hopes of scrutinising the prosecution’s evidence against his client
had been dashed again because they have failed to present it.
“We can
clearly see as practitioners of the law, what the prosecution is trying to do
and where this matter is going. We are obliged to play along.
“But if on the
next adjourned date, our colleagues from the other side fail to provide
evidence that they are bringing to the case, then it won’t be fair to all
parties.
“This is the
third or fourth time, we are coming to the court on this matter but nothing to
show for it,” Counsel for the accused stressed.
Bishop
Obinim was arrested on May 22, this year by the Criminal Investigation
Department (CID) and charged for the publication of false news and forgery of a
document, contrary to sections 208 and 159 of the Criminal and other Offences
Act, 1960 (Act 29) respectively.
Obinim’s
banter with the court has been going on for a while now. In 2018, he, together
with two of his pastors, stood trial at the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly
assaulting his adopted children in the presence of his congregation.
In September,
that same year, he was fined a total of GH¢12,000 for the assault of his
children.
Again, in
August 2016, Obinim was arrested by the Tema Regional Police for allegedly
defrauding a man of GH¢11.6 million.
Prior to his court appearance, the popular man of God in May
2020, spent three days in police custody before he was granted a GH₵100,000 bail with three
sureties.
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