Samuel Atta Akyea, NPP’s MP for Abuakwa South constituency is reported to be currently representing Obinim–as his scandal thickens.
Angel Bishop Daniel Obinim for long has been taking the laws of Ghana for granted and now he has found himself behind bars, for allegedly defrauding a man to a tune of GHc 11.6 million and also for flogging two church members.
Lawyer-Atta Akyea has told Prince Minkah on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Wednesday that Bishop Obinim, his client client is being treated as a “common criminal” to overshadow the “topical” Montie 3 “pardon” saga.
Atta Akyea said: “What was very sad for me was that a man who has voluntarily gone to the police station and you handcuff him, you could see today he’s been at the front pages of the Ghanaian Times and the Daily Graphic as if the nation hasn’t got anything serious to discuss, as if they need this kind of pictures to overshadow the Montie FM issues and I’m embarrassed by it, I don’t think that the nation should stoop that low, we have more serious things to look at, not Obinim’s matters.”
According to Atta Akyea, fraud allegations are common and they should not be blown out for the sake of propaganda. “They are normal things, if you’ve practiced criminal law before, they are very normal, fraud and even murder, so if you look at priority and what is important to Ghana, do not make normal things extraordinary, if you did that then you have a motive,” he said.
He continued: “If you look at what is topical, it’s as if this is supposed to overshadow issues concerning the pardoning of these individuals [Montie 3] so, please this is my view and I think they’ve made it too melodramatic. A man who is known and notorious should be handcuffed, what for, where is running to? Do you know who is supposed to be handcuffed? The hardened criminals who they’ve been searching for years and when they are so arrested, for fear that they might bolt, they handcuff them, so what is the drama about, what is it that somebody is trying to secure? I don’t understand.”
In arresting my client, “due process was followed” and “the drama and propaganda was needless,” Akyea added.
“You don’t handcuff somebody who you know is decent, that’s what it is. …He is not a hardened criminal to be handcuffed and then used on the front pages of newspapers as if this is the most important issue that happened to Ghana. Treating him like common criminal is not dignifying,” Atta Akyea.
As we reported earlier on, Angel Bishop Daniel Obinim has still not been able to turn into anything, not even a housefly yet–but his supporters who have gathered at Nima Police Station are mounting pressure on authorities to free the man of God.
“Supporters of the General Overseer of the International Godsway Church (IGWC), Bishop Daniel Obinim have massed at the Nima police station demanding the immediate release of their Pastor,” reports Citi Fm Online.
Obinim’s supporters are shouting: “No Bishop no vote”, “No bishop no Ghana” and “We want bishop, we love Angel!”
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is currently holding Bishop Obinim in custody for alleged fraud to the tune of GHc 11.6 million.
Bishop Daniel Obinim handed himself over to the Tema Police earlier today, honouring an invitation extended to him following the report filed against him after flogging two church members.
Whilst he has been charged with ‘physical and verbal assault’ for that case, he was soon transferred to CID Headquarters after his arrest, and it turns out the Police have another case against him.
An as yet unnamed man has reported the Bishop to police for fraud, after Obinim took family gold to the tune of Ghc 11.6m from him to help him retrieve some money, but failed to do so and did not return the gold as well.
The man, who seems quite loose with his money due to his extreme gullibility, said he went to see a fetish priest known as Okomfo Gyakpata and handed him Ghc 780,000 to be blessed, but after a while he realised the Mallam was not willing to give him back his money.
So after foolishly getting himself defrauded, in November last year, he went to see Obinim in June for help to retrieve the money from the Okomfo. Obinim asked him to bring the rest of the money, in the form of his family’s gold fortune, and he also willingly brought it and handed it over to the Bishop; gold valued at the Ghc 11.6m figure.
But he said since, Obinim has not been able to retrieve the money, neither has he been able to return the gold fortune. Thus he lodged a complaint with the Tema Police a few weeks ago, and it seems they have been biding their time to arrest him.
“Well, I must say that we have just commenced investigations into this fraud issue.” ASP Joseph Benefo Darkwa, PRO for the CID Department, told Joy FM late Tuesday.
“Now when we are done with this investigations, we will hand him over to our DOVVSU to also investigate the domestic violence issue,” he added.