Police invitation of Rev. Owusu Bempah unnecessary – Ken Attafuah

A Criminologist has described as unnecessary a police invitation of controversial pastor Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah for questioning over a vision he said he had concerning the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer.

Professor Ken Attafuah said there are real threats in the country ahead of the December 7 polls that the police should be more interested in and not populist prophecies such as the one made by the pastor.

Speaking to Raymond Acquah, host of Joy FM’s Top Story programme Wednesday, the lawyer said, “Whatever be the case it does not lie within the realm of the police to invite people who have a revelation in the spiritual realm.”

Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) invited founder and leader of Glorious Word Ministry International, Rev Owusu Bempah for questioning Wednesday, concerning a revelation he said he had about Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The pastor said in the vision, Mr Akufo-Addo was assassinated by an unidentified individual during a campaign rally few days to the presidential and parliamentary polls.

Sections of Ghanaians criticised the pastor, accusing him of unnecessarily putting fear in Ghanaians.

Some church members of the Glorious Word Ministry International massed up at the CID headquarters demanding the release of their leader.

Yaw Buabeng, who is the counsel of the pastor, told the media his client was not arrested but rather invited to aid the police in addressing the issue. Rev Bempah, he said is free, sound and was not hurt by the police.

But Prof Attafuah said the action by the police was “completely unnecessary,” stressing the issue should not have been made public.

“This is not something that should be in the public realm so that they themselves don’t generate public anxiety,” he said.

The respected lawyer said the pronouncement by the Man of God does not have the tendency of causing fear and panic in the country.

Also contributing to the programme was a member of the communication team of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, who found no fault with the action of the police.

He said matters relating to the security of the country require some preventive steps and that was exactly what the police did.

“He [Rev Bempah] indicated that the Presidential candidate of the NPP would be harmed and people are associated with politics and when you make such pronouncement it is important for the police to invite you to find out,” he said.

On his part, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Rev Dr. Paul Frimpong Manso believes both the police and the pastor erred in the way they handled the issue.

“I have a problem with the CID inviting him and I have a problem with the man of God making this pronouncement,” he said, adding God can reveal things to pastors but the responsibility lies on them to know how to communicate it.