Logo of the Ghana Police Service
• The Police has apologised to journalists covering the Owusu Bempah, Nana Agradaa saga
• Owusu Bempah and four others have been arrested and denied bail
• They have been charged with offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, the threat of death, and assault of office public officers
The Ghana Police Service has apologised for the inconvenience and alleged assault on journalists covering the hearing of Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah at an Accra Circuit Court.
This comes after some church members of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International Church attempted to heckle and stop journalists from doing their work on Monday, September 13, 2021.
Multiple videos shared online saw these church members hurl insults and confront journalists making their way to the courtroom to follow the proceedings. Police officers also at the premises subsequently denied journalists access into the courtroom.
But the Police in a statement signed by the Acting Director-General of Public Affairs, ACP Kwesi Ofori, on Tuesday said, “We wish to give the assurance that journalists will be fully protected and allowed to do their work at all times including the subsequent coverage of the case,” the statement read in part.
“We will continue to do everything possible to deepen the cordial Police-Media relationship,” it added.
The Police added that it is looking into footage of the purported incident to identify and bring perpetrators to book.
Meanwhile, an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Judge, Afia Owusuaa Appiah on Monday, September 13, 2021, denied bail to Rev. Owusu Bempah. Four others were arrested.
They have been charged with offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, the threat of death, and assault of public officers, and are expected to remain in police custody to reappear on Monday, September 20, 2021 for hearing.
The court explained the bail was denied in order to give the police more time to conduct further investigations into the incident.