FLASHBACK: Daniel Obinim
The Founder of the International God’s Way Church (IGWC), Daniel Obinim, has debunked claims that he ‘partied hard’ after his released from police custody over the weekend.
Rather, sources close to the pastor, who claims to be an angel of God and has been frequenting heaven, said he had been receiving treatment at a private hospital since his release and does not have time for parties.
Party Pictures
Over the weekend, social and mainstream media were replete with pictures of Obinim in an Omani outfit, which coincided with Eid-ul-Fitr celebration, displaying some United States dollars.
They had claimed that he was celebrating his release after being in police custody for about three nights when he was arrested and charged with publication of false news, as well as forgery of a document contrary to Sections 208 and 159 of the Criminal and other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Flat Denial
However, sources close to Obinim said the pictures circulating in the media were old and were taken during one of his private programmes.
They insisted that he was recuperating after his ‘traumatic experience’ and could not be said to be making merry.
Arrest & Detention
Obinim was granted bail by the Kaneshie Magistrate Court in Accra on Tuesday in the sum of GH¢100,000 with three sureties, one to be justified.
The maverick pastor was not able to extricate the bail bond on time and had to remain in cells until last Friday when he finally walked home.
His lawyer, Ralph Poku-Adusei, confirmed later on Friday that Obinim was able to satisfy the bail bond around 3pm and had since been released.
Impeding Claim
Before his release, two of Obinim’s supposed relatives, Elsie Asiedu and Jennifer Quartey, who said they were there to stand surety for Obinim, had accused the police of impeding their effort to get the pastor freed from custody.
They alleged that the CID officers ‘schemed’ to keep the pastor in their custody.
Obinim’s lawyer appeared to confirm the ‘impeding’ claim when he said that the pastor was held at the Police Hospital because of some health conditions but added that he was not receiving the needed treatment at the hospital.
He said it accounted for the reasons why they had to rush Obinim to his personal doctors for immediate treatment after he was set free.
“The hospital conditions were not good so he is currently with his private doctors trying to check his conditions, so that he can be back to normal life. He has a peculiar heart condition that has been going on for some time so he has private doctors who have been making sure that he was well catered for; he was not receiving that treatment at the police hospital,” he added.
Needless Requirement
“The CID came up with all manner of requirements that are needless, but eventually we met all the conditions and requirements requested, and the bail was executed around 3pm this afternoon at the Kaneshie Court, and he has gone home,” the lawyer said.
Obinim is expected back in court on June 1, while the police conduct investigations into other offences levelled against him.
Main Complainant
Although the police have not released the identity of the complainant, DAILY GUIDE understands that it was through the effort of the firebrand Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, which led to Obinim’s arrest.
The MP has vowed to expose pastors and other spiritualists that he deems to be fake and has accused Obinim of being one of them.
Kennedy Agyapong has confirmed that he personally reported the pastor to the Inspector General of Police for offences including fraud, money laundering and misuse of the police logo to harass some of the boys he has been having criminal deals with.
Previous Cases
Obinim is no stranger to criminal prosecution, as he has had brushes with the law on at least two occasions.
In the first case, he vandalized a private radio station – Hot FM – but was acquitted and discharged in October 2015 after the complainants had allegedly lost interest in the case.
In September 2018, Obinim and two of his pastors were sentenced to a total fine of GH¢12,000 by an Accra Circuit Court after they had been accused of assaulting two teenagers on the premises of IGWC.
Source: Daily Guide Network
